Chara: 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

I hold the gaze of the young man standing in front me, all of his muscles clamped up in determination; if it hadn't been for the pain in his familiar eyes that betrayed him, I would have thought that he was happy to get rid of me, at this point.

"Tara-" his voice comes out broken and wispy, the myriad of emotions swimming just beneath his face subconsciously drawing me in, but I push this feeling aside reluctantly. "Please."
Those tired eyes seem plead a silent "stop."

I force my face to remain a mask of apathy, then manage to sneer scornfully. 

"You're the last one left." I taunt, biting back the gagging that I had triggered with my own audacity.

He looks like he's about to say something, but I cut him off with a cruel laugh; I know what I'm doing. What I'm getting myself into. And somewhere, deep down inside, I regret all of this. I suppose "Pandora" might fit me better than "Tara" looking back at what's happened. Even now, as my pretty little world had been torn down before my eyes, crumbling around me. Everyone gone, shattered by my own hands; yet, I still just had to see what would happen. 

Even looking at this man, hardly older than a boy, burdening so much responsibility; the only person in my life who had never, ever hurt me, not even on accident, in such agonizing pain from watching me fall like this. And trying to stop me.

He certainly wasn't perfect. Not by a long shot. Those times when he spoke in riddles, complete nonsense just to irritate me, when he played the part of the "bad guy" to those around him so that they could be happy, the scheming and colluding behind his little brother, who was the only one he seemed to really care about, the terrible puns that he always thought were hilarious, those teasing grins and winks. But looking back on it, perhaps my annoyance was unwarranted; but then again, hindsight is always 20/20.

My resolve had wavered before. However, each time I would smother it, all in the name of knowledge, prizing answers above everything, even lives themselves.

Now I doubt myself more than ever, hating myself for being so indecisive, for nearly falling prey to the guilt that near tore me apart at times such as these. And with that, I steel myself again, putting on that despicable mocking expression as I take a firm step towards my doom.

I know that he won't be the death of me;

I will win. 

Just like I always have. Just like I did with all of them. He's not special. Not like I am. 
All the while, I know that with this last shred of my little world brought to destruction, I'll be gone. I simply won't be able to manage. 

Tat. Tat. Tat. -- my feet push the ground away forcefully.
Da-dump. Da-dump. Da-dump. -- I hear the heart that I surely don't have after all that I did.
Shhkreeeeeeee -- The metallic sound of my brain protesting my tyranny through a headache, blaring.

But I know I can't turn back, even if I wanted to.

Top already!!

Once upon
A
Time,

In a forest filled
with flame;

There lied a
single
wisp

of burning
Faeiries' bane.

Alone,
scorching all
that
he touched;

But soon came
the rain,

And then
there were
two, standing there--
In the rain.

The little
water-lass
stood there--
where she had formed,

Darkness seeping
into all,
faded moth-wing leaves
crackling under opposing born.

Then the little water drop
took a chance
and
smiled.

The tiny flame
stood--
stunned--

Before
taking a step
forward

To take
the others'
hand.

But upon joining,
as was bound to be,

The little flame hissed
where touched,
tiny water drop
bubbling and steaming.

The two exchanged a
sad glance

Before holding up a rock
'tween them,
a symbol of this chance.

Gazing upon the desolate
forest,
bare and blanketed in
chalky ash;

There the two
found shelter

Nestled between
a spiral
of
stacked rocks.

'Twas there the
bleak sun
carried out it's
final course;

Setting, and sinking
to a sea of ink
and mystic flecks of silver.

But as the morning
rays

Dispelled
the waning
darkess;

The little flame awoke
to the
receding figure

Of
his tiny teardrop
friend.

Alas, soon he noticed
a fine string of ants

Carrying away the pebble,
the token
of his friendship.

Running along,
to retrieve
his friendship pebble,

However, just as our little
friend
caught his tiny rock,

A large shadow
Was suddenly cast

Upon the little pebble,
and our little flame
was trapped.

Caught in
an old man's
lamp,

He was carried
far away

To a small
greyed shack,
where he could only
watch the days fade.

But there was
a single ray of hope

When he saw his
raindrop friend climbing
the up to his latern-prison
to help him cope.

And as the day wore on,
and from daytime
to night,

The little raindrop girl
fell into a slumber
right beside the light.

But from the heat
of the
flame

She soon began to
disappear,

Lilting up,
as steam,
until she was
no more.

Our little flame,
who had pounded
at his glass cage

As he saw
the situation
unfurling

Soon gave up,
consumed by sorrow
at the last trace of steam
on night breeze curling.

Standing alone again,
this cruel and cold
world filled again
With darkness,

But as night had come,
The lamp was turned off,
And our friendly flame now
was no more.

But as his smoke drifted up,
So were his spirits lifted up,

As in the night sky he saw
his little friend
The girl from the water-drop,

Still steam, as was smoke
And they embraced each other,

Finally with nothing to separate
The newly freed sister and brother.

The Painter and the Butterfly 

~~~~~

You once told me that

There was

A painter and a butterfly;

The butterfly was so beautiful

that the 

Painter painted her every day;

She made colours come to life, and

He couldn't

Afford to lose her;

So he traded her happiness for

A locked jar,

Sealing her away for him alone to see.

I wondered how the story ended,

But you said

There wasn't one, it was ongoing;

I asked if you were the painter,

But you

Only smiled, and said nothing.

Now, here I am,

watching my world crumble,

As a butterfly caught in spider's web;

Completely trusting you, even though I can see,

The flame that I, foolishly, am so drawn to,

Begging to be wrong about the skewed future, 

Yeilding only to the shattered frame that is my hope,

As your lies are spun in an elegant design, 

So entrancingly beautiful, but oh so deadly;

Transparent, haunting, clinging to me;

And I, delicate as I am, most certainly

the doomed 

butterfly in

your little

story. 

Another stroke of ink,

another string, snapped;

gone,

and so too is the life

that long ago had just

begun.

But soon it becomes clear,

This is not a burden nor 

punishment,

but rather the long-awaited

blessing that life had so begged,

finally sent.

The warm embrace of the one

who calls itself "Death;"

Finally, the first genuine smile

before that final breath. 

Here's mine!

I watched from a distance as a shadowy figure walked through the forest. "Ok, if this goes as planned, the creature will be caught in our bamboo cage and if it ca talk, we'll demand it to tell us what happened to Colette." I said, putting down my binaculars. "Flame, what if it doesn't work?" Rayne said, worridly braiding her turquise hair. Sun stood with his face filled with worry, his short gold hair blowing into his face. "Rayne's right. If this doesn't work, we'll never get Colette back." Sun said, walking towards me. "Sun, it'll be fine!" I snapped at him, my voice filled with anger. "Ok, ok, I was just wanting to see if you had a Plan B if this dosen't work." Sun said, backing off. "Guys! The creature is caught in the trap!!" Frostbyte said, running towards us, leaving a snowy trail behind her as she ran. "Perfect!! Frostbyte, if the creature dosen't talk to us and gives us the info we want, give him a kiss." I said, winking at Frost. She had the power to freeze someone with one kiss. And Sun controlled the sun, and Rayne controlled water. I controlled fire (I know that the sun is just a big ball of fire, but I'm not going to control that anytime soon.) and Colette controlled the night. "Ok, Ania, you can talk to this thing, right?" Rayne said, her braided hair gently waving in the wind. "Sure she can, Rayne!" Spring said, her green ponytail waving around her. "Spring, you don't need to be so, how do I put this, pushy." Flowera said, her flowers in her hair becoming loose. She put them back in place and looked at Spring. "Ania, ignore them." I said, patting her on the head. Ania's bright pink hair was in waves as she talked to the creature. "He says that Colette is in a tree cage. North of here." Ania said, pointing to a very tall tree. "Ok, let's go!" I said, running towards the tree. "Wait! Flame, we can't just leave him here!" Ania said, starting to let the creature out of the cage. "But he's dangerous and the second we let him out, he's gonna attack us." I said, watching her unlock the cage.

Can I continue this short story tomorrow?