Short Story

As she walked slowly on it now just occurred that at this rate, she would die. The blood loss was too much and even if she tried to go back, she wouldn’t have enough energy to jump back over the fence. She sighed and stared at the blood trail again… it was streaming down towards the lake. Eliza cocked her head sideways, and she slowly stepped forward… and then another step. Entranced, she began to quicken her pace, ignoring the throbbing in her wounded leg. And then, at the edge of the water, as if she couldn’t even control her body, her legs stiffened and she wobbled there for an uncomfortably long moment. Then, as if an invisible hand had slammed onto her back, she fell in. She tried to swim to the surface, but the cold, hard grip of the hand was still there, and she still couldn’t move. At first it felt almost comforting, the inability to control the fact that she would probably drown, after all… nobody would care. And then all of a sudden, as if on command, she was flung downward. She squeezed her eyes shut to avoid the piercing sting of the water smacking her eyes, and then, as if out of a dream, she could breath

Some would say it; the weather was perfect for a bad decision. Gazing into the deep, cloudy waters of the treacherous river, she was reminded of a memory that she oh so badly wanted to be just a dream, she wished that all pain caused from that particular event would vanish. Shaking her head and furrowing her eyebrows she tried to shake the imprint that the episode had left on her. The river's waves collided against the banks, the change in the river's motions reflected her relationship with her husband – calm at times, but a disturbance in the calm water can cause a ripple effect. She thought walking would be a calm way to get away from the pent-up emotions she had been trying to run from, but everything in sight reminded her of her him; and that he was no longer hers. She walked with her shoulder slouched as she re-adjusted the baby in her frail, cold arms. Her watery eyes stared into the nothingness of the mist, still slowly advancing down the rocky path with no distinct destination in mind. Like a broken record, the images replayed in her mind. It felt like a nightmare she couldn’t escape, no matter how far she ran and no matter how hard she tried. There was no use, because the chant of their door that was slammed moments before he left, bounced off her eardrums and it began to become the only thing she could hear. Her

I watched Emily run through the rain like it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She loved it. I however did not. Coming to get me I guessed as I heard her bound up the stairs. ¨I know you hate the rain hollie but you should come out.” She said. I was nine at the time and afraid of a lot of things. ¨No! I don't like the rain and I never will.” She then proceeded to pull me over her shoulders and carry me outside into the storm. Within a minute my flaming red curly hair was dark maroon wet and straight. ¨How do you know you won't like it if you won't even step of the steps when it does.¨ I cautiously stepped of the stem into the dirt at the bottom of the stone steps and felt the mud squish between my toes. It felt funny but I like it. I smelt the rain and looked around at the wet grass with the water on it. It was alluring. But before I could touch it I felt coldness all around me and looked up to see my sister with a bucket. We played outside for what felt like hours till Father came to get us. Then I loved the rain and every storm no matter what time it was my sister and I would go outside and play in the

Her eyes struggled to stay open, slowly blinking but never closing. Droplets from the clouds rolled down the windowpane, like copycats of those running down her face. The night was dark with shadows. The only sounds in the house were the plump raindrops falling on the windowsill, the clinking of beer bottles and the sound of her nervous breath. She had to stay awake for she had left the moment he had passed out on the dusty couch in the living room. Her sweaty palms clutched the leather straps of her bag. Her body shook like a small dog’s and the wind made the trees sway like the ghosts of everything she’d ever known. The sound finally came and so did the closing of her bedroom door.

As thoughts flooded her mind, she began to make irrational ideas. The day had been simply dark and overcast, but in seconds it became a wall of water, the covering on the buildings did nothing. As the heavy rain drops hit the little girl in the centre of her head, the drops running down her face following and mimicking the tracks of where her dry tears once ran .

I continue straightforward, only to see that the streetlights were malfunctioning. The darkness creeps onto the street and surround the street like a veil. I stop and begin to search neighbouring streets that may lead to alternative routes. This sudden epiphany of being alone in the dark sends a chilling trepidation like a person being held hostage at a gun-point range. ‘What if the robbers and serial murders were hiding in the dark, waiting, to strike me at a unsuspecting instance,’ I thought. The rain had stopped. I gulped and taste the air; humid, warm and wet. Disgusting. It had reminded me bitter memories of my experience with mosquitoes. I took a deep breath and went inside the

As soon as she let off the ledge her body flooded with regret, but there was no going back now. As she hit the bottom crashing into the water and rocks the cold stung every inch of her like a thousand knifes. The pain over stimulated her brain causing her to lie there in the water for a while. “Am I dead?” she thought. She sat up struggling from the pain in her legs and back, looking around trying to find a way out of the water she shuffled through the wet rocks to the edge; it was

“The Outer-Ring,” he said, laughing at the irony as he braced for impact. “A new step for mankind.”

Soon, it is morning and I look at my phone to find a text message from Brynn. It said: Meet me at The Rock at 10:00. I rush down stairs to find my mom looking at the back of a pancake box while stirring batter.

The young teenager stumbled through the forest wearing ragged clothes and jeans smeared with dry mud and dirt. The wind rushing against his cheeks made the tears dry out and sting his face. His thongs flipping up and down as he ran. He spotted a dry creek just at the tip of his eye and headed towards it. He lay down exhausted panting and catching his breath, sobbing.

“When I went on patrol, there was a criminal that set fire onto the house of a rival family.” Dick almost forgot Bruce went on patrol without him; he couldn't go because his ankle was twisted.

Walking down the dusty, deserted streets was much scarier than she’d expected. During the day people roamed the streets, women donning large hats that covered their faces from the unforgiving sun while men ran about in their caps. Now though, everyone was safely in their homes, young children tucked into bed by their parents with blankets pulled high up underneath their chins, stomachs full with food touched by their mothers’ love. The only thing that moved was the dust shuffled beneath her shoes that billowed behind her. The quiet was quite eerie and slowly built up fear inside of her, making her steps rigid and awkward. Minerva tried to calm herself, slow her breathing. But halfway out of town she heard the shuffle of feet behind her, distinct and intense in the lull, and something inside her snapped. Minerva began running, clumsy feet rushing forward in panic, not exactly sure what was behind her but terrified anyway. She had to get out. This was her only chance. If she didn’t catch it all was lost-

A fellow member has discovered a new world, your mission is to do recon in..." He paused, confusing Xion and Roxas. "...Hollow Bastion." Saïx gave them the mission report and left abruptly.

A few days after the drop, Marcel drove by to visit the farmhouse—this time during the day and dressed in his Rexist uniform. Inside the farmhouse, he revealed the reason for his visit.

Now finally alone, drowning in the rain, a young girl lays still on the railroad, awaiting for her hopeful demise. She had become lost, her past few days. She threw herself into the unknown and ran away from what she conceived to be a harbinger of doom. The whistle was heard at last, the steam emerged, her smile rose and soon all would turn black...