RATS
Do you remember the days we had? Of times with moments we played in the mud. With no care in the world. Do you remember the holidays we shared together? When we had days of fun, sun and laughter.
But now those days are gone and the sweet memories are starting to fade away. Drifting off into the darkness we have that now surrounds us.
Some of our neighbors had decided to pack up and try to move to places that still had some sun shining through the stratosphere. Others decided that it was best to just stay put.
My neighbor and I ended up helping each other after the soot started falling on the ground. Some of the kids were excited thinking it was the first ever snowfall in Zanzi.
I kind of thought it was a miracle, or another effect from global warming. My smart buddy, and neighbor, told me that things were only going to get much worse from here. I just shook my head in disbelief. I thought he was listening to a lot of nonsense from the news.
In a matter of few months, things did get crazy. The farmers produce did not survive the change of the weather. Stores did not have enough food to offer to the community. The local businesses and work places started shutting down. Even the electric company, Eszco, failed to keep the power supply going. Things were not looking good.
My neighbor seemed to be prepared for the sudden change. He boarded his windows. Placed extra secure locks on all his doors. Then he asked if I needed help securing my place. I thiught, why not. Better to be safe than sorry.
That’s how I started living. He ended up informing me about an underground tunnel network that led from his house to different parts of the city. I was in awe with all the stuff he had together in such little time.
One day~we were out and about-in search of food—and we came across an elderly woman. She smiled at us & winked at my neighbor. He smiled, but then quickly whispered to me, ‘‘Keep an eye on that one. We may be dealing with an impostor here.’’
As soon as we walked past the elderly woman, she tossed something onto the ground. There was a loud bang and my ears started ringing. Then I saw her remove her wig and toss it to the side. My neighbor was right. Now we stared in terror at the now 6 foot tall guy who held a knife in his left hand.
I charged toward him and reached for the knife. The guy had predicted my move. He quickly switched the knife to his other hand, and plunged it into my back.
He laughed and twisted the knife harder into my back. I screamed and fell to the ground. My neighbor took his jacket off to reveal his arsenal.
In one hand he pulled out an arrow from his back, and with his other hand he grabbed his bow from his shoulder. He shot the arrow and it landed straight into the guy’s heart. I gasped.
My neighbor rushed to my side and said, ‘‘Hold still. This is going to sting.’’
I cried and yelled as the knife was pulled out from my back. Oh, this was not how I thought living in Zanzi was going to be like. Maybe I should have accepted the mission exploration to Mars. The Martians probably do not have to deal with or worry about nuclear winters.
I took a deep breath and slowly got back onto my feet. I turned around to see my neighbor cutting the guy into pieces.
‘‘What in the world?’’ I sighed. ‘‘Why?’’
He stared at me and stopped cutting for a brief second, ‘‘We need some meat. In the current state we’re in— we can not be picky about where it comes from.’’
My neighbor tore the clothes off the dude’s body, and sliced the guy’s tummy. Then cut into the man’s intestines.
‘‘Hmm, they don’t look too bad. I’ll clean them when we get back to my place.’’
I covered my mouth. I could not stand the sight, or smell, of all the blood.
Bleugh!
To make the moment even crazier, my neighbor ran when he spotted something scurrying by. He picked up the rodent by its tail.
‘‘No! Please, don’t add that, too.’’ I begged. Alas, my plea was tossed to the side.
#RATS ©
26th Oct., 2020 Lundi
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OLj8EcECKxk
little quirks and such
> i am a few days sixteen.
> i have been a follower of Jesus since the age of eight.
> i have a dog (Sadie) and a kitten (Sheba).
> i adore reading (Marissa Meyer and Madeleine L’Engle are my favourite authors).
> my earbuds are just another appendage of mine, a part of me.
> i am likely either listening to TØP, ABBA, Switchfoot, Oasis, Eloise, some film/musical soundtrack, or a new artist from my Spotify recommended (typically rock— classic and alternative).
> i am decent at ukulele and learning guitar. my, i wish i could sing, though.
> i love the shows “Psych”, “Gilmore Girls”, “Full House”, “The Office”, + “Drake and Josh”.
> i have seen the movie “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” eighteen times.
> i hate the film “The Princess Bride”.
> i would much rather converse via paper letters than text/call/facetime/DM.
> i am a vegetarian (more about where the meat comes from than it simply being meat. commercial farming is... yikes.).
> it bothers me how many people say they are accepting of all, but if they meet someone who disagrees with an opinion of theirs, they “cancel” them. to love/accept and to agree are TWO SEPARATE THINGS (check out @zoe_christina ’s piece titled “yes,”)
>i am terrified of... well, most everything.
> i eat my Oreos by dropping them in a glass of milk and letting them sit ’til they’re all goopy and then i eat them with a spoon :p
> cold showers are better than hot showers, in my opinion.
> i really like windows.
> SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THE WORD “BEAN” IS SO FUNNY (but also, like, so cute)
> i am a hopeless romantic, only trapped within the body of a socially awkward scaredy-cat.
> i have a strange obsession with floating on my back in an empty pool.
> the stars never fail to steal my breath. they are so beautiful and endlessly fascinating.
> one of my favourite memories is shag-dancing in the summer rain.
> i DESPISE cliques/stereotypes/aesthetics (i.e. soft girls, e-girls, vsco girls, cottagecore, skater bois, jocks, etc. ---- OK, unless they are fictional. i mean, come on? peter kavinsky?!). you don’t have to fit some silly label! just be you, in your beautiful imperfection.
> i tend to speak a great deal, despite the fact that i hate the sound of my own voice and i rarely say things worth hearing. this is one of the reasons i adore writing: i can pick and polish every word, every letter, before anyone even catches a glimpse.
> i am an introvert, all the way; although, many people misunderstand the definition of introvert versus extrovert. by saying i am an introvert, i mean social interactions exhaust me and being alone is my time to recharge. plus, i just feel heaps more comfortable alone.
> i am PUMPED for season four of “Stranger Things.” anyone else?
> i lived in Africa for a year of my life.
> raspberries are my favourite fruit.
> i tend to get bored very quickly. sports, friends, hobbies. this makes me hesitant to date; i am afraid i will get bored and hurt their feelings.
> i am an enneagram four. not sure what wing... i will have to explore that further.
> i’m in Gryffindor (what’s a scaredy-cat like me doing in Gryffindor? ask the sorting hat.)
> i have been playing “Among Us” a ton lately, so if you ever want to play, PM me a code and you will make my week.
> i feel anxious almost all of the time. i need to see a therapist but, of course, that makes me very anxious.
> i don’t see myself getting married in the future.
> watching “Ocean’s 8” makes me want to be a con-woman.
> most people see me as soft, a goody-goody, and it makes me want to scream!!!1!!1
> tight clothes make me uncomfy.
> you guys are some of my favourite human beings on this planet.
> poetry makes up a great portion of my heart (surprise?).
> i say “dude” a lot.
> i wish i was funny.
> i am running out of things to say about myself.
*gasps for air*
thanks for making it this far, friends.
i love you, but Jesus’ love for you far surpasses even that.
xxx
Prologue to my book “The Hunt”!!!!
Sunday, July 1,Paris, Texas, 12am
I hear the explosion from my room. Stumbling out of bed, I wander down the hall. When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I freeze.
Fire.
The whole main floor is engulfed in flames. What have I done to deserve this? I run to the fire escape and race outside. All of a sudden, there are bullets. Everywhere I look I see muzzle flashes. Bullets fly by my head. One nicks my ear and I gasp. It didn’t so much as hurt than it did surprise me. I will my legs to go faster, even though I am already going so fast I feel as though I am flying. I hit the woods, out of breath. Stopping, I lean on a tree. While I am catching my breath, I ponder on the situation. Have I made someone mad? No. Do I owe anyone money? No. So, who is doing this? I subconsciously hear another gun go off.
Pop!
I cry out. Pain surges through my body. I feel something warm running down my arm. I swallow. I’m aghast to look at what it is, because I’m positive I already know. However, I need to see how bad it is. Assess the damage. Might as well get it over with. Cautiously, I turn to my left. Blood is pouring from my shoulder. My arm is covered in it, my shirt stained red.
Oh. My. God.
I hear footsteps behind me. Wiping tears from my eyes, I start running. I mentally sketch out the area. These woods lead out to the main road. A back road. My house is pretty well hidden, seeing as I am not very social. Therefore, considering I have no neighbors, and no one comes down this road, it is safe to say I’m going to die.
When I reach the road, I lean over the bushes and throw up. Weird thing is, I didn’t eat anything yesterday or today yet, so I don’t know what I had to give up. As I’m standing up, an arm goes around my neck, a gun pressed to my temple.
I freeze.
“I don’t want to kill you. However, if you try to fight me or don’t cooperate, then I will shoot you in the head.” Says a rough, low voice. Ok then. I can’t die. I’m only twenty three. And, I haven’t made it to Disney World yet. Looks like we’re doing this the hard way.
“So. Quick question: do you consider yourself a good guy?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“Lemme set you straight. ’Cause if you were a good guy, you wouldn’t have a freaking gun against a woman's head without a good reason. And, newsflash, there is never a good reason to kill someone.”
“But we do have a good reason.”
“Oh, and what would that be? Is it because I broke her best friend’s other friend’s heart in highschool? Huh? Is it because I’m prettier than your girlfriend? Tell me, big boy, what’s your good reason to kill someone? What is it?”
“You have a rare blood type. If you donated a pint of your blood, you’d get ten million dollars. We are runnin’ low on cash, and our business is going to fail. So, we need your blood.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me to donate?” He scoffs.
“You’d want the money for yourself.”
“If you know so much about me, you ought to know I’m not failing in life as you seemingly are. I’m a multi-billionaire. Heck, I could have given you ten million, plus a pint of blood. But, no, you and your snotty crew came here, blew up my house, and now you’re holding a gun to my head.”
“Are you mental?”
“No, the psychological part of me is perfectly fine. And, you’re not getting squat from me, ya bonehead.”
“Always heard rich girls were b-”
“Watch your profanity!”
“Whatever. We’ll just take it by force.”
“Ha! Good luck.” He’s taken aback by my bluntness. Temporarily weakened, I reach up and snap the wrist with the gun, the satisfying crunch of the bone audible. Then, I throw the guy my shoulder. He looks at me, his mouth agape, his face pale. I reach down and take the .45 from his hand.
“Thanks,” I say and walk away. I bite back my tears. Gotta play it tough. Just until he’s out of hearing range. I used my left arm to pull him over me and slam him on the ground. Fresh blood flows from the wound. Pain sears through my body. I walk down the road, trying to figure out what to do next. It would be nice if I knew how many assassins were left. My self-defense classes are really coming in handy. I’ll have to thank Brenda, my trainer. If I live long enough, that is...
I see movement from the corner of my eye and raise my arm to deflect the impact of a fist slamming against my face. Turning, I see a man. He’s about 5 foot 9 inches tall, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He’s mixed. American-hispanic. He looks like a mirror image of the other guy, who remains on the side of the road. I throw a punch meant to catch his jaw, but his hand closes around my fist. Then, he kicks me in the abdomen and I fall on my back. I get up, only to get punched in the face, my nose breaking. Rage takes over. I throw a lightning quick combo; jab, left hook, right cross, uppercut. He crumples to the ground, but I know he’s just unconscious. I fish his phone from his pocket and hide in the weeds. I dial 9-1-1, and listen to it ring. Come on. Hurry up! On the third ring, a woman picks up.
“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”
“Hi. I am being attacked. I need an ambulance and a lot of cops. I don’t know how many there are. They blew up my house. They shot me. Now, there’s a crazy man beating the crap outta me.”
“Are you in immediate danger?”
“No, it’s alright. No danger at all. Just a bunch of people with bombs and guns. Nothing to worry about. WHAT DO YOU THINK?! Of course I’m in immediate danger!”
“Ok, ma’am. I need you to calm down. Where are you?”
“I’m on wild-” My breath catches.
“Ma’am?”
“Hel-” He tightens his hold and I feel myself getting weak.
“We’re sending someone now.” And she hangs up.
“There won’t be any need for an ambulance or cops, ’cause you’ll be dead by the time they get here.” I reach up and pull at his arm. I need air. I kick backwards and he groans. I’m not a fan of cheap shots, but you gotta do what you gotta do. His arm loosens slightly and I take my elbow and swing it as hard as I can. My elbow connects with his jaw. I wiggle out of his grip. When I turn to face him, I’m greeted with his fist slamming into my temple. My vision goes black around the edges. Then, I’m falling. I hit the concrete and pain stabs my body like knives. He stands over me, grinning like the devil he is. Not a pretty sight. Blood fills his mouth, staining his teeth a crimson red.
“Thought you could get away that easy? Well, you’re not going anywhere. Ever.” Blood dribbles from his mouth and lands on me. His fists rain down on me, hitting every square inch of my body.
The gun.
I struggle, but finally get the .45 from my boot and pull the trigger. The sound is deafening. He falls, his brain, skull and blood splattering onto my body. I relax and try to breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The sirens blare, the lights flash. My vision is getting blurry as blood pours from every hole on my face.
sandcastles
she lives in a world of fiction, a universe of twisted truths and romanticized realities;
she’s a girl who lives hidden away behind book covers, in between italicized fairytales;
the clamor of society is drowned out by the lullabies of literature, by
the poetry and the prose to which she ever-so-tightly clings;
she falls in love twice a day, and once more in
the night, scrawling half-forgotten daydreams on her yellow walls
before they slip away, sand in between her fingers
pounded into castles, castles that will never crumble,
will they? with time, ignorance becomes insufficient,
imagination an illness, and dreams the
dust that has settled over
her right-side brain,
the sandy ashes
of her
soul
Feral Cover Reveal
So...I've been trying to concentrate on River's End, but I decided to announce my intention to have Feral as my backup NaNoWriMo project. Fine. However, I can't stand just leaving it with the blue-with-purple line stand-in cover that are default on the NaNo site, so I couldn't rest until I made one.
If you want to see what Feral's (first) cover looks like, check it out here: https://www.deviantart.com/takizyn/art/Feral-Cover-858900468
DANCING
Dire grin on the young face
And then the figure sprints
Never missing a beat of the music
Catches their breath & then moves
In for a right heel kick
Not waiting for a moment to pass
Goes for another kick & some teeth are knocked out from the opponent’s mouth!
#DANCING ©
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a0VjzxOkJug
17th Oct., 2020. sat’rday
tick, tock
i’m sorry
i’m sorry
the words are there
they’re there
but
but they’re all jumbled
a junkyard made of
my stream (or scream)
of consciousness
and i’m sorry
i’m so sorry
the ticking tells me to talk
but the sentences
scatter before
escaping my skull
and
and i’m
i’m sorry
so very sorry
for the once-prospering,
poetry-producing
portion
of my brain
is dying,
so i’ll
drown out
the ticking
the tocking
with melodies
made by
those who
still thrive
in the melancholy
and the mundane,
while i watch
watch
and wonder
of miracles
TICK-TOCK
Tick-tock went the clock....
Sam placed her hand on the glock...
Then she waited for the hour..
When she would meet the dour.
She could not see their faces—
They were covered by masks.
They had come to take her face.
She raised her weapon like an ace.
They surrounded her in a blink of an eye.
Sam was not ready to face these masked A.I.
One tried to reach for her gun.
She jumped over it, & started to run.
But they were faster,
& she was captured.
Nothing/No one could save her now!
#TICK-TOCK
14th Oct., 2020 ~Wednesday.