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The cold wind
Chatterbox: Inkwell
The cold wind
The cold wind blew over the clifftop, fluttering my cloak behind me. I looked back at the lights of the village behind me. I knew they wouldn't miss me until the morning.
Good.
I wanted them to have one last night of peace. One last night before they learned what I'd done. My decisions spreading out through our future like ripples, affecting even those who would come long after me.
I sighed deeply and turned away. No point in regretting it now. I'd made my choice.
As I walked away, I wondered again if anyone would ever forgive me. I'd betrayed them all. Every one of them--and no-one would look at me the same way ever again.
For a minute it was too much to bear. And then...I remembered why. Why I had done any of it.
I shook my head. My loyalty did not lie with my village. It lay with my home. What had they ever done but drive me out?
I walked on. Dew dampened my pant cuffs, but I didn't care. The coolness was refreshing. In the sky above, the stars were fading into the early dawn.
The last rooftop was about to vanish behind the hill. I looked back at it.
"Goodbye."
I knew that I would never see it again.
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Feedback please! I randomly wrote this. Guess me?
submitted by Silence, age idk, a Secret Identity
(June 3, 2022 - 10:28 pm)
(June 3, 2022 - 10:28 pm)
That's really good! It's so mysterious, and I like the imagery. Are you going to continue it?
(June 5, 2022 - 2:38 pm)
yes
(June 7, 2022 - 7:37 pm)
Wow, that's really gripping. I'm intrigued. And as for who you are...are you Tsuki?
(June 8, 2022 - 4:05 pm)
Nope, not Tsuki :)
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There was a soft creak as Ryder opened the chest. His hands were pale and shaking. He knew what he would find, and yet he hoped against hope that it would still be there.
It wasn't.
Ryder shivered. He had believed she was trustworthy. He had thought that she would save them all. But instead, she had taken the necklace. The necklace which had been passed down through generations.
The necklace that held their city together. That kept the curse at bay.
Long ago, the City of Shem had been cursed by a sorcerer. But Ryder's great-great grandfather had stopped it by enchanting a necklace. The necklace could not stop the curse, or break it, but it could hold it back.
That was why no one left the city. Why the inhabitants feared shadows. Why no one touched the necklace. For it was what protected them.
And now it was gone.
Ryder ran his hands over the trunk. He had known it was her the minute he saw her running from the fire with the Staff of Shadow in her hands.
But he hadn't believed it until now. When she'd vanished from the village. When he had come home to find his door torn from the hinges and the trunk thrown open. The necklace gone.
Why had she done this? Why? She could have had a home here.
And I trusted her, he thought. I trusted her.
He closed his eyes.
Is this all my fault?
Part Two, done!
(June 10, 2022 - 3:06 pm)
Wow, this really is beautifully written; the fantastically subtle imagery, balance between solid plot and mystery, and... *cackles maniacally*, I don't even know how to describe that underling trickle of intrigue~
If I weren't me, I'd probably have thought it was me (which it obviously isn't, since there appears to be an actual plot :'), but anyway-) Great work so far, I'd be delighted to see future snippets of this story or even just your writing in general!
Ah, and on that note, be ye... Luna-starr, Neverseen, Silver Crystal or Blackfooted Bobcat, perchance? Or maybe... Hollyshock? Hex? Emekittycon Kitten? Just thinking of chatterboxers I know might be into this kinda of tone. :/
(June 12, 2022 - 6:17 pm)
Thank you Jaybells! That means a lot to me. I am going to continue it! But I am none of the CBers you listed...
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Ryder knew there was only one way to fix this.
He would have to go after her. He didn't want to, but he had to get the necklace back. Their city was already crumbling. How long would it last?
He didn't know if it was safe to follow her. She'd taken the necklace. What would she do? How far would she go to keep it?
But it had to be him. He knew her better than anyone.
And maybe, he thought, if I get it back, then no one has to know what a fool I was...
He picked up the bundle he had packed last night and quietly opened the door of his room. He glanced around, wondering when--if--he would be back.
Out on the quiet staircase, he slipped down past the rows of paintings on the walls. The old clock was ticking as though counting down the time they had left.
What if I'm too late?
*
I made camp in the forest on the other side of the hill. I knew that behind me the city was crumbling. I knew that I'd hurt the people who trusted me.
They would think I didn't care.
But I did.
I cared so much.
And that was why I had taken the necklace.
Because I cared about my mother. And it was the only way to get her back.
The sun was rising. I knew I had to leave. Shem was not far away. Someone would come after me. Someone would realize what I'd done.
But not him. Please not him...
I blinked away my guilt. No time to look back. It was too late. I had to focus on the reason. The reason I'd betrayed them all...the reason I'd left my only home.
But if this works, I'll have more than a home.
I'll have a family.
So I turned to face the sun.
Part Three, Done!
(June 13, 2022 - 3:41 pm)
*more ominous laughter* Ooh, is this some drama I smell on the incoming breeze? *grins in away that should be impossible*
Do keep up the great work, Author-sama!! (-sama means Ms/Mr/other label, if you weren't aware. I'll call you this until we figure out your name, if it's alright with you. :>)
(June 15, 2022 - 10:02 pm)
Sure, Author-sama is fine. Thanks again Jaybells!
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Ryder hiked swiftly up the hill. His breath came in swift pants and his legs screamed in protest, but he didn't stop. He had to catch up to her, or all was lost.
He glanced back at the village. They wouldn't have noticed his absence yet, but once they did they might think she had kidnapped him. Perhaps that he'd even fled with her.
As if he would leave with the person who'd betrayed him.
But they might think he had.
He stumbled over a root and barely managed to catch a branch, stopping himself from sliding down the hill again.
He had to catch up! There was no "try." No "fail." It was "do or die." The city would not last long with no heart.
For the necklace not only held up the city...it acted like a heart, circulating and keeping everything moving. With it gone, Shem wouldn't survive.
(Dramatic music....)
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I opened my pack and removed the map that I'd stolen. I knew that it held the path to my mother, to my family. But the key...I didn't have the key.
I'll figure it out.
The sun was high. I unfurled the map to read in its bright light. My finger traced the dark brown lines, thickly inked. There was Shem, and there was the river that ran through it. I gazed at it thoughtfully.
This river is important somehow...
I took a deep breath and grasped the necklace. I realized I had somewhat hoped that if I touched it, my mother would appear. But no such luck.
The old woman's cryptic words rang in my head. The necklace is key to freeing your mother. Obviously, that didn't mean that by touching it....
I glanced back up the hill and my heart started to pound. Something was crashing around up there. Something...who was I kidding? It's got to be the people chasing me.
"Liraz!" My name rang out through the still air.
Part Four, Done!
(June 21, 2022 - 5:20 pm)