102 replies to this topic

[Emerald39]

#8 (It's been so long, I know, so please don't judge me for this)

 

Inside the locket was an image, a man of some sort; his face seemed eerily familiar to me, but I wasn't sure how. His eyes were as cold and lifeless as mine, like two metal marbles. I couldn't stop staring at it; with every second, I thought that he might be me, but was brought back to reality every time. I decided to keep it with me, so that I may learn what this may hold. 

 

As the darkness was scattered by the dawn's heavenly rays, I slipped the locket around my neck and decided to take a walk, to clear my slanted mind. There was a small park nearby, full of life and people, which I thought would help me to see straight. How wrong I was; oh, how wrong, HOW wrong I was. 

 

As I walked past the luxuriant fountain, with arching jets of flowing water and a vibrant glow about it, I saw a man in it. He was cleaning part of the exquisite marble sculptures, carved into the shape of Cyrene and her grieving son Aristaeus. I had heard of this story from a friend of mine, who was a classics scholar: Cyrene comforted her son after he had grieved on the shores of the Peneus and helped him to find a seer to explain why his bees had died. Wish my mother were still around to comfort me; if it hadn't been for that fatal accident...

 

I woke back up to the reality that I was in, and looked for that man who had been cleaning the fountain. He was lying face down in its waters, no movement. I guess I missed the bell's chime...

[Bokuboy]

#9

 

When others in the park noticed the man face down in the water, they rushed over to help him. When he was flipped over to his back, I saw the reflection of the tattoo that had been on my forehead the night before. It was faded and blackened, but nonetheless it was the same. I reached up and touched the spot it had been on my face, but felt nothing there.

 

It was a relief, to say the least. Maybe it was my dream? Or the locket?

 

I grasped it in my hand and held it tight. How fortuitous it was, that Esmeralda had visited me last night! I know it was just a dream, but this couldn't have been a coincidence. Things like that just didn't happen.

 

I turned around and made my way to the park's entrance. I didn't want my presence there to be connected to the man in the fountain. If no one knew, they couldn't blame me.

 

I think it's time I left this sleepy little town. There's just one thing I have to do first.

[Emerald39]

#10

 

I made my way to the edge of town, where a mystic had opened a shop for Tarot card readings. I trusted him more than anyone else; he appeared to be the only sane one in this dystopic hellhole. I entered the shop, and its smell hit me. I've never been a fan of incense, but I tolerated it, knowing that my hope was within. 

 

The mystic walked out from behind a curtained doorway. "Back again, eh? I expected the most. Well, take a seat."

 

I sat down as he shuffled and cut his Tarot deck. He spread it out in front of me. "You know the drill. Choose 6."

 

Following his instructions, I picked out six, stacked them in order and gave them to him. In his usual manner, he cleared the table of the other cards and placed the six in a 2x3 pattern. 

 

He lifted the first one: XVII - The Star. He knew that a tranquil time was ahead of me, and I had hopes for what it might hold. The second card made me shiver: II - The High Priestess. I should look within to find that dark part of my life, but I'm not ready yet. The third: I - The Magician. I do have my fears about the man in the locket; his familiarity makes me shiver. Fourth reveal: XII - The Hanged Man. I was expecting this to turn up; travelling across the country like this has always made me felt in limbo, but at least he is saying I will know to make the right decisions. Number Five: XV - The Devil. This was too true. The deaths within the town were beginning to become like euphoria to me, like a drug-induced haze, longing to hold on to the feeling. The final one, though: XXI - The World. The conclusion's near at hand? My venture's nearly over? Or is it that my fulfilment of this town is complete?

[pdaangsakti21]

#11. (wow tarot. i have no idea about them so i think it was a brilliant idea to insert it!)

 

either way, the result was satisfactory. there were too many mysteries but with these i got some clues.

the locket man, Esmeralda, cards... i needed some time  and place to organize them.

i could go back to the inn i was lodging. or should i go straight out of town? 

 

the innkeeper saw the mark on my forehead yesterday. if i go back there and show myself that i'm still alive, what would happen to me?

the tattoo and the bell were always caused fatalities. there were no such cases like mine who cheated death.

if it ends up as a mere rumor it would be the best, but if someone pries to my case they would know who i am and i will once again treated as a fugitive.

 

though i did nothing wrong.

 

i've decided. i went to....

[Emerald39]

#12

 

I went back to the inn. The innkeeper was a little surprised by my presence. "You came back?...How? You had..."

 

I finished. "The mark? Yes. I don't even know myself how it happened; perhaps it was fate."

 

He suddenly froze. "Fate, huh?"

He stood in contemplation for a moment, then opened a door behind him. "No one saw you come here, right?"

 

I replied. "Not that I know of."

 

He entered the doorway and beckoned me in. He closed the door quickly behind us. "This isn't the first time that this has happened to people; in the past 20 years, there have been 15 other people who have avoided the death bell. Every time, the person they last looked at was the one to die instead, almost like a reaper. They became known as Fate's Children, after the Three Sisters of Fate."

 

I was surprised to be hearing about Roman myth again. "So people think they have personal connections to these Fates?"

 

He nodded. "Indeed. Particularly, they're believe to be descended from Morta, the Cutter of the Thread. That is why they've now gone into hiding, and you must do so too, lest 'they' find you."

[Bokuboy]

Lucky #13

 

"Who are they?" I said.

He looked at me askance and started to describe them, when the door burst open and men dressed as priests bustled into the space between me and the inn keeper. A bag was put over my head and I thought I heard a grunt from where the inn keeper was standing, then I was unceremoniously tossed over several shoulders and carried out of the inn. There were no shouts or screams as I was taken in broad daylight. I'd pretty much given up on being surprised by the reactions in this town, and regretted not leaving before this had happened. If only I'd listened to my inner voice telling me to go.

 

I was dropped onto a horse across the saddle and my arms and legs were tied together under it's belly. Later I was grateful for this, because the ride to wherever it was I was being taken to was a lot rougher than it would have been if I'd been riding the horse instead.

 

Hours seemed to pass as we headed... somewhere. My head was still covered so I didn't even know what direction we went in. I don't think I'd ever be able to find the town again, assuming I even wanted to.

 

The horse stopped abruptly and I nearly rolled to it's underside. I was caught before that could happen and was untied by surprisingly gentle hands.

"You didn't have t treat him like that!", a pleasant and surprisingly soft voice said.

"It was the quickest way.", someone said back.

 

She huffed and pulled the sack off my head, and I beheld the most beautiful face I had ever seen. Her face was framed in the most luxurious black hair, long past her shoulders. Her lips were lusciously red, and her piercing green eyes were upturned towards my face with a look of both sorrow and hope in them. I was speechless.

[pdaangsakti21]

"i'm sorry for the treatment these guys did to you..."

 

it wasn't the worst one so far, but it was bad for my heart. and this was also a bad situation. an unknown girl kidnapped me, there would be nothing good out of it.

 

"...umm, are you hurt?" the girl asked me with a worried look. she looked honest, but i could never be too cautious.

i must ensure my escape or at least survive through this considering the risk of getting charmed, tortured, and other means of cruelty.

foolish steps would end bad, but nothing would come from silence. wrong words would cost dearly, questionable gestures would shave my chances. i do have pride and since i was the victim, i need to show that i don't want to yield easily. but also i need to show them my willingness to open and peaceful conversations instead of violence.

 

"i'm fine. but who are you people?"

 

"oh! sorry, that was so rude of me! my name is... umm, just call me Grise for now." she picked her hems of her skirt with one hand, slightly lifted it, and bend her knees a little while tilting her head. a cute noble salute. after that she asked everyone out of the room to let us talk freely.

 

"Grise, what do you want from me?"

 

"i want to confirm something...you have this, don't you?"

she held a locket. and inside it, a photo of a middle aged man. it was strangely similar to my own...

no, although he was aged differently in this photo, he was definitely the same person as the one in my own locket.

[Silentnight]

The man looked at it first closely and then after his face went into a blank stare then after it become worry.

 

"........" the man paused before he said"______[next person start here]

Edited by Silentnight, 21 March 2016 - 02:00 AM.

[Bokuboy]

# 16

 

"Where did you get that?" I accused her before I could control myself.

"Probably the same place you got yours." She said cryptically.

"That didn't answer my question." I said.

"I know." She said and sat in a chair.

 

I sat down across from her and just gazed at her. I'd never seen a more perfect specimen of a woman in my entire life. Her proportions were perfect. If i'd had a ruler I'm sure I could confirm my observations, but there wasn't going to be much chance of that. I was being held against my will, and an unknown location, for some unknown reason. That was a lot of unknowns for me in a single day. I think I was getting tired of being pushed around and manipulated. I was pretty much at the end of my rope as far as being kidnapped was concerned.

 

I sat back and folded my arms and just glared at Grise. What a fake name she'd picked. If she had even a bit of common sense, she'd have picked a name beforehand and practiced with it, and I'd never have known she was making it up. Oh, well. It's difficult to expect any kind of professionalism from common kidnappers.

 

"I don't know what you want from me." I said, and she tilted her head.

"I told you, we want to confirm this." and she pointed to her own locket.

I took mine in my hand and tried to open it, but it was fused shut again. I wasn't going to try and pry it open right then and there. That'd be giving too much away, so I just fondled it a bit and put it back under my shirt.

"I'm not going to confirm anything for you people."

 

She huffed at me and stood up abruptly.

"I'm trying my best to help you, here!"

"That's some help you're offering. I don't know where I am, who you people are, or what it is you plan on doing with me."

 

She got an odd look in her eyes and turned away from me. I was about to say something else, but the door opened and a guard came in. I assumed it was a guard because he had a weapon and was dressed for the role. He motioned for Grise to accompany him and they both left the room. I sat there, and contemplated what I was going to do next. Obviously there wasn't going to be much information forthcoming from these people. I had to figure out how to get out of here.

[Emerald39]

#17

 

I looked around the empty atrium. The domed skylight would be impossible to reach, and the door Grise went through probably had a guard on the other side. I decided on a nearby window, but stopped when I saw the thick bars silhouetted against it. 

 

Suddenly, the door swung open again; it was Grise. She approached me and uttered. "Our leader wishes to speak with you."

 

I hesitated, then grinned. "You are really getting desperate, aren't you? You really think I care about who it is talking to me? 'Cause I ain't gonna let anything slip, not to you, not to anyone. I'd rather die then tell you."

 

She gave me a weird look. "Are you sure?"

 

She stared me down, and I tried my best to remain confident, but I was eventually broken down. "Fine then; here's that stupid locket. You happy now? You have my locket, now why don't you just get it over with and kill me already?"

 

With that, I threw it at her feet. She picked it up off the sandy floor and effortlessly pried it open, revealing the image. Her face went pale. "No way...it's him...the True Child of Morta!"

[Bokuboy]

#18

 

Without even thinking about it, I said, "Morta?!? Ha! That's my father."

 

Grise's face lost all it's color and she dropped the locket. It hit the floor with a resounding thud. Silence seemed to fill the room and it overflowed to the hallway. No one moved or spoke. I thought maybe a minute or more had passed and she turned quickly from the room and slammed the door shut. It wasn't true, what I'd said, but it definitely got a reaction from her. I wonder how they'll treat me now?

 

Apparently, I wasn't going to talk to their leader right away... so I waited. As more time passed, it did so in complete silence. No one walked by my room and no one offered me anything to eat, even though they had taken me from the inn that morning. I guess it was a little before people usually eat supper when I heard soft footsteps approach. The door swung open and Grise stood there. She wore a splendid white afghan, pearls the size of marbles, and soft leather sandals. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, pulling all of her hair away from her face. Most times it would be too stark a contrast for a woman to look pretty after seeing all that hair accentuate her face, but this time her strong cheekbones and smooth jawline made her even more striking than before. That was rare, indeed. Her bright red lips seemed to jump from her face, making you want to kiss them.

 

That wasn't going to happen, though. I knew where I stood and where she stood... both on opposite sides from the other. At least, that's what I thought until she spoke.

Edited by Bokuboy, 21 March 2016 - 07:00 PM.

[Emerald39]

#19

 

Her words struck clearly and formally. "My comrade, please forgive me for the actions and isolation that I have imposed upon you. As you might have been guessing, this is the hideout of Fate's Children. My name is Nascasha Graduvirt, the True Child of Nona."

 

My mind was spinning, but in this something clicked. "Nona? As in the Spinner of the Thread?"

 

She nodded. "Indeed. There are many disciples who have certain aspects of the Parcae's power, but there are only three who are capable of utilising all that are contained within a Sister's power, as they are direct descendants of these Fates."

 

I was shocked. "So my dad's name came from that? I knew it was a very ancient name, but I didn't realised that it related to my family."

 

She smiled. "It was predicted that you would be surprised by this. All your life, you have been hidden from the truth by your family, and by those who know the truth; now you are faced with this knowledge of your power. So then, by what name has our True Child been known by"?

 

I answered hesitantly. "Victor ... Victor Ferrufort."

 

Nascasha lowered her head. "Victor, will you join with us, and become the new saviour of this dystopic nightmare of a world?"

[Bokuboy]

#20

 

"Bwa ha ha ha!" burst from my lips before I could control myself. I got a handle on my emotions, caught my breath, and replied more fittingly.

"Really? After kidnapping me, starving me for most of the day, not even bothering to offer me water... you seriously expect me to just join you after a few words of apology?"

The look on her face after I laughed was one that I had expected, but the anger that filled her eyes now was not.

"That wasn't my fault!", she said.

"I know that... but you didn't do anything to rectify it, did you? You were quite content to just let me rot in here when I was just someone brought here for questioning."

The anger fled from her eyes at the truth in my words. I nodded to myself and continued.

"The fact that I'm now someone your faction desires, changes nothing that has happened to me... except to make it even worse that you'd treat someone you wanted to join you, this way."

Her face fell and she lowered her head. I wasn't sure what she was going to say next, but it didn't matter. Two guards came in behind her and grabbed me by the arms. They lifted me up and carried me from the room.

"You see..." I said to her as we passed by her sullen form. "...am I really being treated any differently?"

[Emerald39]

#21

 

My outburst continued as the guards and I moved away from Nascasha. "Human beings are all the same! They thrive on power, so they strive to find those who have it, and then exploit them for all that they have! Is that all I am to you? A human battery for your twisted purposes?"

 

Having yelled for so long, I realised that I had no idea where they were taking me. I looked around, and saw that we were headed through a network of tunnels, which lead to three doors. The second one opened and we went through to a small room, where I was placed in a chair at a small table. I was surprised; the decor of the room, lined with cosmic paintings and blue curtains, reminded me of my art card friend. 

 

Suddenly, the door next to me opened, and a tall blond girl walked in and sat opposite me. "Sorry about the wait and the manhandling; I got lost in the tunnels again. But I'm here now, and we can get down to business, Victor."

 

I stared at her in suspicion. "How do you know my name?"

 

She laughed. "Oh Victor, did you not pay any attention to where you were taken? What did your Classics friend say about the Fates?"

 

I looked down in thought, and looked back up when it returned to me. "He said there were three Sisters; and based on that, I came through the second door to get here. So that must mean..."

 

She smiled. "Yes. This is the Sector of Decima, the Measurer of the Thread."

 

I grinned sarcastically. "So you must be the True Child of Decima, then?"

 

With that, a tear ran down her cheek. "No. He has been lost to the enemy, and I fear...he may...he may not be the same."

[pdaangsakti21]

#22

"as if i care. you see, all you guys been doing to me is nothing but to toss me here and there, neglect me, question me, confuses me even more, without one single proper explanation!"

 

the blonde twitched, let out a sigh and wiped her tears. she looked calmer.

 

"there was no need to explain if you just read your history book, dear guest. now i'm sure Nascasha blurted some hints but i can very well se that you're dense enough to let those useful informations slip by."

 

what fucking informations? that she trembled after seeing my locket? after hearing my father's name? i don't even... no one could solve that kind of riddle goddamit!

 

oh. i see. these guys, fate's children or whatever, did not have any common sense. i gave up conversing to them, everything would not go to my favor as long as these guys stick to me.

but i needed to calm myself down. the simplest way: venting. i knew there was no point in doing that but whatever. these guys spout anything they wanted so why don't i do so myself?

 

"aaah. i know. i understand. stop talking because i already understand, okay? i understand SO PRETTY MUCH PERFECTLY that YOUR BRAINS CAN ONLY HOLD UP TO 4 LETTERS! F-A-T-E!!"

Edited by pdaangsakti21, 24 March 2016 - 01:22 AM.

[Emerald39]

#23

 

The woman reflexively jumped back, then suddenly punched me in the head, knocking me over. I looked at her face as I fell, and she was furious. "Hey, I've got an idea for you! If you're so stubborn about being an ignoramus, then why don't you just walk out of here and forge your own path? Maybe this time your mother won't die because of your bitter rage!"

 

I was shocked, and so was she when the Red Mist began to clear. She let her head fall onto her chest, as if in wait for what was coming. I got back up, still wondering. "How do you know about that incident? Dad was the only one there to witness that."

 

She sighed. "Because I saw it through you, Victor. I saw it all: the nomadic travelling, the hateful relatives who called you a demon, all the deaths you witnessed in that city; I saw all of it. The moment we made eye contact, all of that flowed into me like a data transfer. Do you even know what that's like, knowing absolutely everything about a person's past, even the darkest and most depressing parts?"

 

I didn't know what to say, but that didn't stop me from speaking. "Decima: the Measurer of the Thread. So you can read a person's past?"

 

She started to cry. "Indeed. I'm the strongest of the Decimae because of this, but at the same, I'm also the weakest. This power feels like a curse, weaving its wicked magic into my very being; but I endure it, for the sake of others. I spent most of my life wanting to end it all, to commit suicide; of course, I was never strong enough to do it. So I did the only other thing I could: use it to protect those who are suffering. You know it; you're in the same state as me. Back under that fountain, you were praying to die; you even looked at Aristaeus' grieving figure and thought, 'He should've done the same'. So please, look beyond your rigid emotions and think clearly: is that the life you want to lead?"

 

Both of them were flowing rivers of tears from their eyes. He took her hand in his. "What do I need to do?"

 

She wiped most of her tears away, and stood up with him. "Follow me, and together we can rescue the True Child of Decima."

[Emerald39]

Hey guys, 

I've noticed that no one's continued the story in a while; I don't whether that's because people are busy, or whether my last addition was very difficult to work off of. I've been waiting patiently for the past month for the next addition, and no one seems to want to do it; so I have a proposition to make. Can we bend the rules just this once, and I'll add another section that you guys can work off of, just to revive this again? 'Cause I love this forum, and it would pain me to see this one become abandoned. :'(

[Bokuboy]

Oops, forgot about this. Here you go. Hope it doesn't change your next post too much, Emerald39.

 

#24

 

I nodded to her and she nodded back. She clasped my hand again after wiping her tears away and turned towards the doorway in the back of the room. She pulled me with her and I followed her out the door and into a weird room. I'd never seen anything like it before. Lines of thread were scattered all over every surface that could be seen, like spider webs, and each one was connected to another in an intricate weave that I just couldn't make sense out of. Names were written by them in some spots, and others the names looked to be hastily scribbled over or erased. The sheer amount of time to do something like this was mind boggling. I started to shake my head at the enormity of the task ahead and we passed through another door and into a stately room with regal chairs and a gigantic dining table, covered in food and drink.

 

"You must be hungry after your ordeal. Please, help yourself."

 

I looked at the food and my stomach rumbled. It sounded like thunder in the nearly empty room. She laughed and went to the table. She grabbed a piece of fruit and ate it. I threw caution to the wind and dived into the feast before me. I'd never tasted anything so good. I don't know if it was the hunger, or just the quality of the food, but I honestly didn't care. I gorged myself for several minutes, and then settled down to eat a proper meal. Once that was finished I looked over at her, and saw she had eaten a meal as well. The look in her eyes was both expectant and welcoming.

[Emerald39]

Thank you so much, Bokuboy; this is perfect. 

 

#25

 

I sat back in my chair, gleefully rumbling my stomach; this is what the Star had meant. Then I remembered what the girl said, and I stared at her. "So, you said that the True Child of Decima was lost, and that we need to rescue her. Would you be able to elaborate on that?"

 

She tried to smile back, but I could tell she was holding back tears. "Of course. As you already know, Nascasha was the first True Child to become part of this place; she actually co-founded it with the main leader, I believe."

 

My eyes widened, and I looked down at the floor. "Well, now I regret all that abuse I hurled at her. I should fix that soon."

 

She said, "Don't worry; you'll have plenty of time for that. Anyway, the True Child of Decima was a young man by the name of Vincent Rasa, and we had been looking for him for years. He lived in the city where we found you, and I've heard that he was quite a loner; no one would talk to him, and he was too scared to even look at anyone. I guess the powers of Decima were too much for him, because his next move was to tell the government about them, and they dismissed him as a madman until Fate's Children was created. We almost had him in our possession when they took him away; and I don't know what they've done to him...and I...I fear that...they've changed him...that he'll never remember me..."

 

She was weeping heavily at this point. I sat down next to her and hugger with my right arm. "Sounds like you were very close to him."

 

She nodded. "He was my older brother, and I haven't seen him since he left home ten years ago. I'm scared to see him, now that the government have him wrapped around their fat fingers; that's why we need you."

 

I had a tear in my eye; I had no siblings, but I wish I did. "What do I have to do?"

 

She hesitated; I could see her pupils widening, and her muscles lock up. However, she recovered and looked me directly in the eyes. "You have to kill him."

[Bokuboy]

#26

 

My eyes widened in shock at her statement.

 

"You can't be serious! I thought you wanted to save him?"

"I do.", she said as she stood. She walked over to where I sat and took my hand again. "Come with me."

 

We walked back into the room of webs and she led me over to a large stretch of wall that was completely covered and picked out a single string.

"This is my brother." She said and plucked the string. She pointed to the edge of the wall where the end vibrated slightly. "That's when he was born." She moved farther down the wall and I noticed his string was intertwined with another, and she pointed. "This is when he left ten years ago." The strings weren't twined anymore but ran parallel. She moved even farther down the wall to the corner. "This is where we almost got him back, but the government got him instead." She didn't move this time, but pointed to a spot on the wall where the string frayed and broke. "This is where they did something to him."

 

Tears rolled down her face as she spoke, and I could see how much this was hurting her, but I had to ask her something.

"So, what you're saying is... he's not quite who he was?"

"No, I'm saying he's no longer my real brother. He's like some kind of impostor wearing my brother's skin. He must be dealt with, and soon... before he can do any more harm to this world!"

The fervor in her eyes was a little frightening to see, but I could tell it was tempered with knowledge and foresight.

"You know where he is, don't you?"

 

She took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Yes."