I have no thoughts. I feel a feeling - probably - but it's too hard for me to describe, extending beyond words and expressions.Xavier is kissing me, and I never thought it would be such a pleasant day.... good.Good is a pretty overused term, used to explain tons of different emotions and placed in many contexts, but in this case the word should be considered as a simple placeholder for a reality so indefinable that I wish it would last forever. Something so strange and beautiful loses its impact through communication, which is true for many things, and can only be delivered through experience.It's almost like the time I was a little girl and my parents took me to the beach for the first and last time in my life. I remember standing there, my feet sinking into the pure white sand, marveling at the magnificence that surrounded me. I could feel the hint of salt on my tongue, the wind caressing my little body. The sun cast its glow over me, making me feel like an angel bathed in holy l
I swing the spear with incredible force, hitting the large oak tree and jamming my weapon in the middle of it. My face drips with sweat, traveling down my face and body, but I don't care. I feel powerful when I wield a sword... like I can do anything.I'm alone in the forest, surrounded by dark gray foliage and towering trees that I desperately want to knock over. This would ensure that I had taken a step forward in my training, and I could finally take a break. My frustrations, which had initially led me here, had long since subsided, and now I could feel a dull ache in my bones."Nice, Mona." A voice bursts out, and I turn my head to see Ray, nonchalantly leaning against the side of the tree. "You're getting better."I don't really know how to take compliments, so I stare at him. "You're welcome.""Uh, bad words. I think you've been away from society too long. The correct answer is thank you." He laughs, and I can't help but laugh too."Actually, I'm right. You're welcome to come al
I crouch down, scanning the creature's body. There is no definite shape, but it lacks the usual intensity of a normal Shifter. Instead of the glare of a monster, its eyes contain the darkness of an inner turmoil. We continue to stare into each other's eyes, I can't seem to pull away.I try to call upon my past knowledge. Back at headquarters, when we met with the Shifters, I had a somewhat similar feeling. There was no hatred or resentment, as I would expect in other situations. What should I do? I wish there was some kind of manual that explained everything to me, because then everything would be so much easier.A small body of light leaves my body, surprising me with its sudden appearance. Without knowing what I am doing, my hand closes around it, trapping it in my grip. As I hold it, I can feel the compassion I had just felt.This light looks a lot like the other light Griffin and I saw at the well. I can only guess, but it seems that these...things are essences of our emotions, so
When I see a vast expanse appear on the horizon, I almost had a heart attack. This may seem odd, but after a few hours of travel, seeing anything other than moving Shifters and dead foliage is a big surprise. At this sight, my stomach starts to rumble furiously, probably more ready to reach the ocean than I am.We continue to travel, our steps pounding in unison. But now that we can see the end, we seem to be running at an increasingly slow speed. I find myself getting impatient, and I speed up, the rest of the group following easily. The ocean grows larger and larger with my excitement.It finally crawls over us, and we can finally slow down to a steady walk. The others clap next to me. Ray seems especially excited, jumping up and down with his backpack in his hands.Xavier looks at me, and we make eye contact. His face is twisted into a hesitant smile, and it's easy to notice that he may be a little apprehensive about the whole thing. "What is it?" I ask softly, not noticing that my
I can see them, a multitude of Shifters in physical or spiritual form converging on the shoreline, and these are unlike any others I have seen. Red eyes glisten in dark, throbbing bodies. Each of them looks thirsty, tinged with the madness that accompanies emotions such as hatred or envy. Some have burrowed into the surrounding foliage, with glowing tree trunks for torsos and blood-red veins running down from heads to roots. They're human-shaped in that they don't look as sturdy or as thick as a normal tree, and the arms are made of gathered branches, yet possess an intimidating elasticity.Jake pulls out a small dagger, his face twisted by some of the same insanity the Shifters possessed. "Brace yourselves," he growls as the first Shifter in physical form tears out of the undergrowth and runs faster than any normal human being should.Without hesitation, I raise my arm and throw the spear with all my might. The joy of life fills my chest as it hits a Shifter square in the face, embed
"Xavier, wait!" I call to him as I run through the vast brush. I know I have no chance of catching him unless he wants me to, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't even try. No one knows better than me how big the world can be when you feel so alone and vulnerable."Please!" Tears form in the corner of my eyes, running down my cheek and lips. In this desperate pursuit, I can't help but feel a variety of intense emotions. The most predominant of these is a strange form of affection that cannot easily be described as desire or simple friendship. I want to absorb her sadness, to absorb every negative emotion so that her pain will fade away. And the strange thing is that there is no personal gain involved. I won't get anything worthwhile out of consoling him.But I still want to. And that fact scares and excites me beyond measure."Mona." Strong hands encircle me from behind, trapping me in the place I wanted most. The warmth of her body surrounds me, her shoulders shaking slightly.
What a cruel way to continue the story.Sometimes I feel like I can understand it. These events and circumstances are necessary, though sometimes inexplicable. Sometimes harsh. Sometimes painful.Why?No, no... I take it back. Duty. It's not for me to know. I would like to... but I can't. I can't ask, I can't question, I can't know.I won't have an answer anyway.The goal is cruel. A beast that robs you of your natural identity and aspirations and puts you on a different path that continues in a straight line, always moving never stopping running stop breathing no don't do it standing keep running running otherwise you will know.Sometimes I feel like I'm about to crack. Hit the ground so hard that my face breaks and my fingers crumble and my chest explodes and then I realize it's already happened. And so it can happen, again and again and again, without any relief, because why? Because I am dead! Dead then, dead now, dead forever and ever.And there is no difference anyway because -
Even the thought looks like a new soft candy. Though unfamiliar and strangely flavored, I can't stop eating it.It won't be long before we reach camp, but honestly, between my throbbing headache and Xavier's obvious gesture of possessiveness, it felt like an eternity. Xavier's vulnerability seems to have completely dissipated, leaving his unbearable confidence that I can't bring myself to hate."Xavier," I whisper in his ear, "you can let go now." Standing just behind our makeshift shelter, I hastily attempt to shake his arm."You wish." His grip tightens, leaving me even more embarrassed and nervous. Any minute now, they'll see us and assume things that don't need to be assumed.I look away awkwardly, trying to mentally prepare myself for their reaction. Surprisingly, I feel Xavier's hand leave mine after a few seconds, and I look up at him with confusion."I was just kidding, Mona." He smiles broadly, with a hint of sadness in his features. That