courageisthekey
A Raging Inferno
EXPLANATION:
As many of you no doubt know, our dear friend @[member="Ven'Rain Sekairo"] has unfortunately left the site. However, she has not stopped writing. Her little free time has been spent writing out a elaborate story of hers, known as Death's Winter (part of a cycle, each following a season). The backstory of the book is vast, and will take quite some time to explain. Much of the information is still locked in Kristen's head, yet to be written out in full detail. But luckily for us some of it has already been written down. Seeing as Kris is no longer writing with us, she thought it would be nice to give a sneak peak of her book. This is the start of a story she considers her best work yet (perhaps beside a poem she wrote for a friend, but I can't vouch for it, as I've only read a few lines). It's approximately 2 pages long. More will be added in time, if Kris lets me.
Enjoy.
STORY:
[SIZE=10pt] It’s amazing what someone can get used to. Nowadays I carry a scythe around as casually as some women carry a handbag. Of course, I’m not ‘some women’. Quite the contrary, really. For one, when you say ‘some women’, you are most likely referring to the living. And I, my friend, am not alive. If you can’t put two and two together, I’ll say it bluntly: I am dead. But more than that is needed to have this make sense. I became death’s assistant, helping her round up unruly souls and help them move on.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yeah, this might require more elaboration.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Moving on. Fortunately the drive was over soon. The cabbie dropped me off on Elk Street, pretty close to my Aunt’s house. Quickly I paid, skipped the tip, and rushed away, ignoring the flurry of snow around me. God, it was getting hard to see. Not too much farther… Ah, here I was. One last road to cross then just go down the dirt pathway, and I’d be home. Well, sort of. Auntie had agreed to let me live in her daughter’s old room while I went to college to get my degree. I was hoping to be an English teacher one day.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Here we go! I looked both ways; made sure no cars were coming, and took a step. All was well so far. Another step, and another, and ano- SWLOOP! Stupid ice on the road made me fall. I’ll just get up and-[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Everything went black.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Eloquence was lost as I burst into tears, emotions overwhelming me for completely understandable reasons. Meanwhile a man stumbled out of the nearby car. He reeked of alcohol, a terrible scent that highly offended my nostrils… or whatever allowed me to smell in this state. “O-oh god… oh bloody ‘ell! I… I didn’t… I-I didn’t s-see ya there… Oh god, oh god I killed ya…. Oh boy… oh boy what do I do? I’m so sorry…” The drunken man stuttered as he came forward, kneeling before my broken body. I yelled at him to get back… I didn’t want my killer touching my remains. But he didn’t hear me, or didn’t listen. My despair turned into rage. Pulling my arm back I threw a punch at the man… only to receive no reaction. I tried for several minutes to get his attention, but I soon became apparent I could not interfere in this realm. Speaking of realm…[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Was this hell? Just watching your loved ones discover your death, along with all the chaos that followed? Witnessing the medics pick you up off the ground and cart you away? Standing and speaking at your own funeral? God, that would be horrible… No other explanation came to mind. This was my hell. Whether or not it was meant to be. A blaring sound woke me from my thought as the ambulances rushed in. They pulled the drunk away from me, carefully placing him on a stretcher for the ride. I- well, my remains- were to be taken elsewhere. The dead do not belong amongst the living. I attempted to communicate with these workers as well, only to find my attempts were as futile as the last.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Soon they drove away… leaving me alone in my sorrow. Quietly I sat on the curb, staring at my last few moments. Walking across the street. Slipping on the ice. Trying to get up. Headlights piercing through the snow. And then the instant of indescribable pain before release. Awakening had been as simple as waking up. Except I was standing when the curtains were drawn. I still couldn’t figure out why I was here. Religion had taught me that I would be judged after my death, than sent to heaven or hell. Had I slept through judgment? Or… was everything I believed wrong? Honestly I don’t know what I thought was worse.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] A voice killed the silence.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] “Huh. You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would. ‘Course I assumed your soul would get right back in line, ‘stead of just popping out and staying here. If ya haven’t figured it out yet, you’re dead. Welcome to the afterlife.” Snapping around I looked for the source of noise. There, right in front of me, staring right at me, was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Not that it mattered at the moment. Her hair was the color of raven’s feathers; eyes were bright and yellow, yet serene… A dark leather jacket covered most of a band shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal fingerless gloves. Her jeans were a little tight, and stayed tucked into her combat boots.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] My mouth dropped open. Who was she? How could she see me? What did she mean by all of this nonsense? Before I could speak she raised an eyebrow, obviously noticing my shock. “Ain’t you ever seen a Black Reaper before? Those people with no names who stand near the bed of the sick? Hang out at funerals, never saying a word? Lurk around traffic accidents?” I shook my head no. She sighed and rolled her eyes, looking bored. “Darling, I’ll be blunt. We reapers are the guardians of souls. Basically, we’re death. And you are a lost soul. One of the many known simply as the Stray.”[/SIZE]
As many of you no doubt know, our dear friend @[member="Ven'Rain Sekairo"] has unfortunately left the site. However, she has not stopped writing. Her little free time has been spent writing out a elaborate story of hers, known as Death's Winter (part of a cycle, each following a season). The backstory of the book is vast, and will take quite some time to explain. Much of the information is still locked in Kristen's head, yet to be written out in full detail. But luckily for us some of it has already been written down. Seeing as Kris is no longer writing with us, she thought it would be nice to give a sneak peak of her book. This is the start of a story she considers her best work yet (perhaps beside a poem she wrote for a friend, but I can't vouch for it, as I've only read a few lines). It's approximately 2 pages long. More will be added in time, if Kris lets me.
Enjoy.
STORY:
[SIZE=10pt] It’s amazing what someone can get used to. Nowadays I carry a scythe around as casually as some women carry a handbag. Of course, I’m not ‘some women’. Quite the contrary, really. For one, when you say ‘some women’, you are most likely referring to the living. And I, my friend, am not alive. If you can’t put two and two together, I’ll say it bluntly: I am dead. But more than that is needed to have this make sense. I became death’s assistant, helping her round up unruly souls and help them move on.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yeah, this might require more elaboration.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]THREE MONTHS AGO:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Snow fell past us in the abundance one would expect of glitter at a stripper party. Also known as a hell-of-a-lot. If it weren’t for the cab’s roof that covered us, both the driver and I would be freezing in a foot of white flakes right now. Though with this horrible trash they call ‘modern music’ playing, I might actually prefer it out there in the cold. This crap is horrendous. Part of me can’t believe people even like stuff like this. But I have to remember, everyone has different tastes in music, and that’s fine. No matter how much I think they’re entirely and utterly wrong and have no idea what real music should be.[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Moving on. Fortunately the drive was over soon. The cabbie dropped me off on Elk Street, pretty close to my Aunt’s house. Quickly I paid, skipped the tip, and rushed away, ignoring the flurry of snow around me. God, it was getting hard to see. Not too much farther… Ah, here I was. One last road to cross then just go down the dirt pathway, and I’d be home. Well, sort of. Auntie had agreed to let me live in her daughter’s old room while I went to college to get my degree. I was hoping to be an English teacher one day.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Here we go! I looked both ways; made sure no cars were coming, and took a step. All was well so far. Another step, and another, and ano- SWLOOP! Stupid ice on the road made me fall. I’ll just get up and-[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Everything went black.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Heavy eyelids awakened to a bloody masterpiece. Crimson liquid splattered across a windshield and pooled around a fresh kill. A large amount covered a bone that jutted out of the victim’s knee. To most it would be terrifying. For me, it was just confusing. Because the girl that I quietly stood above… was me. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was my… corpse, for a lack of a more calming word. Whatever vessel I currently inhabited bent down, placing two fingers on the body’s neck. There was no pulse, as expected. No one could have survived a hit like that. Especially with the weather being so awful.[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Eloquence was lost as I burst into tears, emotions overwhelming me for completely understandable reasons. Meanwhile a man stumbled out of the nearby car. He reeked of alcohol, a terrible scent that highly offended my nostrils… or whatever allowed me to smell in this state. “O-oh god… oh bloody ‘ell! I… I didn’t… I-I didn’t s-see ya there… Oh god, oh god I killed ya…. Oh boy… oh boy what do I do? I’m so sorry…” The drunken man stuttered as he came forward, kneeling before my broken body. I yelled at him to get back… I didn’t want my killer touching my remains. But he didn’t hear me, or didn’t listen. My despair turned into rage. Pulling my arm back I threw a punch at the man… only to receive no reaction. I tried for several minutes to get his attention, but I soon became apparent I could not interfere in this realm. Speaking of realm…[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Was this hell? Just watching your loved ones discover your death, along with all the chaos that followed? Witnessing the medics pick you up off the ground and cart you away? Standing and speaking at your own funeral? God, that would be horrible… No other explanation came to mind. This was my hell. Whether or not it was meant to be. A blaring sound woke me from my thought as the ambulances rushed in. They pulled the drunk away from me, carefully placing him on a stretcher for the ride. I- well, my remains- were to be taken elsewhere. The dead do not belong amongst the living. I attempted to communicate with these workers as well, only to find my attempts were as futile as the last.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] Soon they drove away… leaving me alone in my sorrow. Quietly I sat on the curb, staring at my last few moments. Walking across the street. Slipping on the ice. Trying to get up. Headlights piercing through the snow. And then the instant of indescribable pain before release. Awakening had been as simple as waking up. Except I was standing when the curtains were drawn. I still couldn’t figure out why I was here. Religion had taught me that I would be judged after my death, than sent to heaven or hell. Had I slept through judgment? Or… was everything I believed wrong? Honestly I don’t know what I thought was worse.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] A voice killed the silence.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] “Huh. You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would. ‘Course I assumed your soul would get right back in line, ‘stead of just popping out and staying here. If ya haven’t figured it out yet, you’re dead. Welcome to the afterlife.” Snapping around I looked for the source of noise. There, right in front of me, staring right at me, was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Not that it mattered at the moment. Her hair was the color of raven’s feathers; eyes were bright and yellow, yet serene… A dark leather jacket covered most of a band shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal fingerless gloves. Her jeans were a little tight, and stayed tucked into her combat boots.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] My mouth dropped open. Who was she? How could she see me? What did she mean by all of this nonsense? Before I could speak she raised an eyebrow, obviously noticing my shock. “Ain’t you ever seen a Black Reaper before? Those people with no names who stand near the bed of the sick? Hang out at funerals, never saying a word? Lurk around traffic accidents?” I shook my head no. She sighed and rolled her eyes, looking bored. “Darling, I’ll be blunt. We reapers are the guardians of souls. Basically, we’re death. And you are a lost soul. One of the many known simply as the Stray.”[/SIZE]