I am completely, irrevocably lost. Unfortunately for me, I have an awful sense of direction and terrible map-reading skills. I should not have tried to explore the city by myself.

I turn around, seeking a familiar landmark, but I find nothing. All I see are crowds of people and storefronts I dont' recognize. I do actually have the option to get help, as I do have my cellphone, but it's so embarrassing to call my sibling to get my out of this mess. I know they will never let me hear the end of this.

I'll just have to ask someone for directions! A stranger. For instructions. That I know I'll never be able to remember. I sigh and sit down on an unoccupied bench. Just as I'm about to suck it up and call my sister, a silvery grey cat leaps gracefully onto my lap.

It meows entreatingly, as if to say, "I have something for you." It jumps off me again and onto the pavement. Trotting away, the feline turns back around and looks at me. I shrug and follow it. I'm already very, very lost, so following the cat can't hurt.

The cat leads me through twisting, winding streets until we stop in front of my hotel! I grin at the cat. "Thanks!" Instead of leaving, the cat now follows me all the way to my room. It has no collar or identification, and it seems to have chosen me, so I guess it's mine now.

Fish and I live happily ever after. 

Rowan rolled his eyes.  He didn't know how many people bothering him he could take.  It had been a challenging day, and he wasn't about to let whoever this was make it any worse.  "Get out of my way."  He didn't know or care about whatever issue they had with him this time-- until the figure spoke.

"Oh, Rowan."  There was a hint of amusement in his voice.  "I remember the days when you would never dream of talking to me like that."

Rowan froze midstep.  It couldn't be.  Not here, not now-- he wasn't ready for this.

"What?" Ezra stepped closer.  "Did you think you'd never see me again?  Really, after all the time we've spent together, you should've known that somehow we'd find our way back to one another."

Rowan didn't answer.  The only movement he made was to tighten his grip on his staff.

"Please, Rowan, you can't really want to fight me with that.  Can you recall even one time you were able to beat me during training?"

Rowan couldn't.  Even so, he hoped that he had improved over the last few months- a hope that was shattered when Ezra knocked the staff out of his hand before he even realized what was happening.

"Dear child.  You have grown complacent.  Your eyes betray your fear and your stature exhaustion; did I not teach you better?  Walk with me, if you please, Rowan.  Perhaps you can regain your worth yet."

@IDoNotKnowYou, are you Gallium? 

It was a gray and dreary Sunday, normal weather for the midheat of summer in North Carolina. The air was so humid it felt as if it was pressing down on my chest. A sticky breeze blew through my auburn hair, shifting it out of the style I had worked so hard to secure it in that morning. I wanted to look my best today. I had one shot to make a first impression. That was why it was called a first impression, after all. 

Slamming the car door behind me, I stepped out into the new world. My world. I knew it as soon as my first foot hit the ground. Despite the foreboding weather, the buildings around me seemed to shine. There were many, but two stood out to me. They were what the map in my hand claimed to be the "Artist's Village". Modern glass framing with gray walls; two large rectangular buildings stood parallel to each other across from the parking lot. Beads of rain from the storm that had just passed through clung to the sides of the building, giving it a strange shimmering effect. I couldn't wait to go inside. 

"Calvin! Come get your stuff out of the trunk!" My mom's voice shook me out of my momentary trance. "We're already late!"

Gathering my trunk and various other boxes of supplies that I had been required to take, I began making my way down the sidewalk toward thes door on the right building's door. In solid black lettering above the door frame was "EAST BUILDING". Okay, that wouldn't be too hard to remember. Hopefully. I swung my suitcase behind me, and pushed through the doors. Inside was a common room, from the looks of it, with some of the coolest chairs I had ever seen. Big, bulky, colorful, spinny chairs. I wanted to go plop down in one of them right now, especially after the eventful car ride I had been in, but couldn't. I had to check in; get a key. Learn what this place was all about. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is such a cool idea! I'll submit some guesses soon! 

Blind to all things unrelated, Sara had stabbed and slashed and poisoned her way to the top. However, once she was finally there — at last, her dream shatteringly close to being within reach — it felt so underwhelming. There was no one left to celebrate her victory, no left to oppose her and keep her fantasy of subjugation afloat. All was dim and devoid of life and warmth, the world unable to power itself after her utterly crushing win. Totally filled with silence, grey and still and empty, all that remained was dust and the heavy stench of blood after the blazes burned their course.

The highest high — the pure ecstacy Sara had imagined for so long — it never came. She stamped her gold-encrusted foot, kicking up a cloud of choke-inducing ash. It shouldn't be like this. Cheering, fame, fortune, glory: that was what she deserved. That was what she had expected and what she had shrugged off her humanity for. But what was this? This ungratefulness, this insolence, this utter disrespect! Fuming, she squinted hard against the flattened horizon.

Blind was she to the desolate world she had shredded and torn — as well as the fact that it was her own hands that carried out the dire deed.

past, present, and future are all just a point of view.

as someone who lives in all three, I can confirm this.

the past is strange, some of it is sharper than a knife, yet other parts are as faraway and blurred as a cloud. 

the future is ever-changing, as delicate as a butterfly, and at the same time as dangerous as a tiger. 

the stars lay out a misty path for me to walk, and the moon hangs in the sky as my lantern.

I am the rustling, whispering leaves in summertime, I am the endless, peaceful shadowy dusk.

I travel memories, watch over the world, and prepare for the future.

humans fight and holler, creatures attack and survive, the elements burn and freeze.

I am not a part of that, for I am the watching shadow, the guardian of destiny. 

-----------------------------

kinda short