NaNoWriMo 2015: The Garnet in the Tower

I can't believe it's already been a year since the last NaNoWriMo. I'm a bit nervous and anxious. I have not prepared much at all for this upcoming event. Yikes! With NaNoWriMo comes a lot of focus and determination. For me personally, I need to prepared for the grueling 30 days. Thankfully, I already have a story that shows some promise that I started writing during the summer. I honestly don't know where this story is going to take itself, and it kind of scares me. I like to have structure when it comes to my story and this particular story has no structure at all. Maybe this year will be a good year for me to practice trusting my fingers more than my notes. Here is the opening scene for my upcoming NaNoWriMo Novel with its tentative title: The Garnet in the Tower.

I dreamt of the mansion again.

                

I’m never in the dream, just looking down upon the scene, like a spiritual presence. The sky is thick with dark and moody clouds, even in a dream I can feel the thickness in the air. It’s warm for such a dark night. Nestled near rolling hills and a forest surrounding the other three sides is an extravagant grey mansion, Victorian. A wrought-iron fence surrounds the expansive property; the grounds are rich with all kinds of flora, sculpted shrubbery, and a small stream that runs from the forest behind the mansion. There is ivy crawling against one side of the grey clap boarded mansion, and a rose garden in the back. The mansion stands three stories tall, with dormer windows, turrets and intricate eaves. A paved trail leads down around the mansion, and into the garden.

                

It was like a song movement, the wind whistled in the trees surrounding the property, it weaved through the ivy, through the iron fence and hummed past a statue of a weeping woman. The trees bowed and rose, moaning and creaking in rhythm with the whistling wind. The crash of lightning and the rumbling of deep and tumultuous thunder rocked the sky. The song rose and fell like waves in an ocean, it ebbed it crescendo until suddenly it silenced. The clouds thinned and like a knife, moonlight pierced through the murky veil and lightened the hills behind the mansion. The small pond that wound around the pagoda glistened in the moonlight, almost rippling in delight of being noticed.

                

As the night continued, the moonlight crept across the ground, slowly making its way towards the tallest turret on the mansion. The turret overlooked all the land about it. Inside, placed in the center on a ornately carved pedestal and encased in glass, was a round gem, large in size, it was red, a deep rich red, like freshly spilt blood. There it sat, like a king’s jewel, making a show of itself. The moon’s stare rose and higher and higher until its silvery glare met with the small garnet. From the heart of the stone, it sparked a small yet brilliant spark of red that lasted for only a moment. But as the moonlight lingered longer on the stone, the spark turned into a glow. It grew from its center and then expanded to reflect off of the stone’s smooth and curved surface and released a warm red glow around the room in the turret.

                

The stone’s light began to pulse, at first erratic and fast, until it slowed and began to match that of a human heartbeat. I could hear the sound of the stone’s heartbeat, but it wasn’t necessarily something that could be heard, but felt. I could feel the stone’s beating rhythm, it was strong, and deep, like it was buried deep into the ground like an ancient tree’s roots were furrowed deep into the earth. It was impressive and powerful, but not overbearing, it was actually soothing to listen to.

                

Suddenly, a second heartbeat matched that of the garnet’s beat. It was faint at first, and when I had heard it, I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not. It slowly crescendoes from a soft whisper to the powerful pulse of the stone’s. It came from underneath the earth. I feared that suddenly the tenderly cared for lawn would suddenly burst apart in shreds and lava would erupt from the core of the earth, but no such thing happened.

                

The beats synchronized and suddenly became louder and louder. What was once soothing now became a throbbing pound in my head. I cringed and wished that I was corporeal so that I could cover my ears. The beating grew louder, but its speed stayed the same. It was unbearable to listen to anymore.

                

And just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.

                

I heard a deep intake of breath come from somewhere by the rose gardens. My eyes shot over to the garden. I studied the weeping statue, the winding river, the small path, and then laying in the grass was something that was not there before.

                

Taking his first breath of life, was a man dressed straight out of a Period Romance Novel. His suit was black and tailored to his muscular, yet slim build. The white shirt underneath needed no moonlight to make it reflect light, and the top buttons of his collar were unbuttoned, revealing his pale yet smooth skin, easily could be mistaken as porcelain. His shoes were polished, yet not flashy, with small tassels at the top of the foot. But his appearance, his face…that was even more impressive. Eyes like golden fire, lips shaped in a comfortable smirk, and his eyebrows poised to impress. His hair was golden white, and braided down to between his shoulders. In his hand was a rose, a white rose. He twirled it in his hand nonchalantly. He blinked, breathed again, and then sighed outwardly. He tossed the rose away, it landed delicately on the ground.

                

Suddenly the dream turned into slow motion, he turned and his smirk slipped easily into a sly grin as he blinked and I suddenly felt like he was looking straight at me. He opened his mouth and in an unmistakably sultry voice he whispered, “I found you, my love. Am I as beautiful as you remember?”

OoooOOooo! What do you think this is gonna be about? Because I honestly have no inkling yet!

Once again, I want to thank all of you for your kindness and support and for taking time out of your busy day to read my silly fluff. For those of you who may be wondering, no I have not finished last year's novel Adrenaline, but it's on my list of things to finish before this year ends. I kind of wrote myself into a corner, if you get what I mean (Probably not). Although, if I start Garnet in the Tower, I may never finish Adrenaline. So I'd better work on it now. Wish me luck!

Yours Truly, 

Kenra Cook

The Broken-Hearted Wizard

Let me tell you about Fanfiction. But first we must explain the term: fandom.

Fandom: the fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc., regarded collectively as a community or subculture. (thanks Google)

Or pretty much the heart and soul of tumblr. I wouldn't encourage entering that domain. 

One of the major things fans in fandoms do is they write fanfiction, stories based off of their favorite book/movie/anime/tv show and they take the characters and world into their own hands and make it all of their own. There is a whole entire website dedicated to the dangerous world of fanfiction. Can you guess what it is called? You go it, fanfiction.net

And I'm writing one myself. Yep, I'm one of those people. 

What fandom am I writing for? Oh you're just going to love it: Winx Club. The cartoon about fairies and magic and high school and the power of friendship. Yay!

And so, I've included a whole entire chapter of my fanfiction: The Broken Hearted Wizard. It's in the middle of my story, but it's one of my favorite chapters. It's a flashback that explains sort of the villain's backstory and how he came to be as evil as he is. The villain is Valtor, obviously, and he is one of my all time favorite characters in the Winx Club series. Enjoy! 

Valtor stepped quietly into the cave, it had been a long time since he had been here. He had been with his mothers for the past century capturing magical artifacts, but he was ready to rest for a while. He waved his hand and magically in the back corner of the cave a bed appeared. He collapsed onto it and breathed in deeply, it felt nice to take a vacation.

                

He closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh Domino air that blew in from the mouth of the cave. His mothers didn’t enjoy the fresh air like he did, it was always a special treat when they let him go to spend time alone. He always chose to stay at Domino, it was where he had been created, where he was born, and in an odd way, it was the closest thing he had to home.

                

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted by giggles. His eyes jolted open, someone  was disturbing him. He frowned when he sat up and saw a small toddler aimlessly wandering into the cave. Her fiery red curls bounced up and down as she hummed a tune only known to herself. She looked to be about three or four years old, and she was dressed in a bright pink flouncy dress.

                

“It’s a royal.” He thought to himself. He watched the girl wander from one distraction into another. She lifted her eyes and her eyes latched onto his. He shrunk away, he didn’t want her to see him.

Her bright gold eyes widened when she saw him and her small, chubby fingers reached out to him, her giggles louder. She started to speak, but Valtor had never associated with young children before. They were fragile and annoying to him.

                

“Leave.” He commanded. He pointed to the mouth of the cave. But the little girl rushed closer and closer to him. “No, don’t come any closer.” He shouted, but the little girl didn’t seem to be frightened of him at all, and before he could object, her small arms were wrapped around his leg. He was tempted to kick her away, but he looked down at her and saw her sweet smile, looking up at him and his whole body seemed to have melted. He felt so weak and useless as he stiffly watched the girl play with his boots and the hem of his coat.

                

“Marion, where are you sweetie?” A shout came from outside the cave. The little girl didn’t seem to listen.

                

Marion. So that was the little girl’s name. He looked out the cave and saw two figures in the distant looking for their lost daughter. He glanced down again at the small child. For a moment, he felt jealous of the girl. She had two parents that cared for her and loved her. He had never experienced that ever. His mothers created him simply for the purpose to claim magic, there was no love involved in their relationship. He wondered what it might be like to have a mother and a father who cared about you. But he quickly shook the thought away. If he was like this girl, he would never be the powerful wizard he was now. He heard another shout from Marion’s mother and he gently pushed the girl away.

                

“Someone is looking for you.” He tried to speak more gently, but it came out more like a growl. The little girl didn’t budge but instead climbed up his leg and rested in his lap, she sunk her fingers into his long hair. He sighed, exasperated as he continuously tried and tried to get her to leave. But the little girl kept climbing around him, pulling at his hair and coat and giggling the whole time.

                

He muttered under his breath before finally flicking his wrist and magically forcing the girl to let go. She gently hovered away from him as he guided her to the mouth of the cave and away from him. He stayed in the shadows and watched as the girl finally turned away from him and in leaps and bounds, ran to her parent’s arms.

                

He watched as the child’s parents ran to her and held her in their embrace before they each grabbed one of her hands and swung her between each other. He could hear her giggles still, and his lips twitched into a smile.

****

                

Six Years Later

                

Lost in thought, Valtor thought about the little girl that had touched his heart so many years ago and wondered where she could be. He hadn’t visited Domino since that last time, but it felt about the right time to return and store the artifacts and spells that he had collected the past six years. He felt a twinge of excitement to be taking a break from all the work he had been doing. It was nice though; his mothers hadn’t spoken to him in those past six years which meant he could return to Domino without punishment. He hated that even centuries later, he felt more like a slave than a son to his mothers. But that was how their relationship functioned.

                

He breathed in deeply as soon as he stepped into his familiar cave. It would be easy to find an empty castle or mansion to claim as his own, but he had found this cave when he was much younger and was needing time away from his mothers. Even to this day, his mothers did not know the location of his cave and he liked it like that.

                

The first thing he did as soon as he was well rested and had taken his fill of food, was wander the fields just beyond his cave and below the Castle Village. Not very many people visited the fields, apparently their lives were too busy for such trivial things. But Valtor found the empty fields relaxing and would spend most of his spare time meditating. He had been taught by an old man long ago how to allow meditation to bring focus to your thoughts. The man had long since passed away, since Valtor was in fact immortal.

                

Sitting on a smooth boulder near a gurgling stream, Valtor’s busy thoughts drifted to nothing as he allowed his body to relax.

                

“Princess, maybe it’s best if we stay in the village!” A voice shouted in the distance.

                

Valtor regretfully opened his eyes and saw the little girl that had wandered into his cave six years ago running across the stream, and recklessly through the sunflowers, laughing without restraint. But she wasn’t a little girl anymore, she was probably ten or eleven years old now. But her bright gold eyes and infectious grin gave her away easily. A tubby old woman was huffing after her, flustered.

                

He gracefully slid off the boulder and sat hidden behind the tall grass and watched as Marion, the princess, danced through the flowers. She was so happy, Valtor observed with envy and curiosity. He had never really been intrigued by anyone so deeply. What was so special about this little girl?

                

He bemusedly watched as Marion managed to dodge the old woman that was gasping for breath but was still chasing after her. Eventually, the woman gave up and collapsed in a heap and exasperatedly watched the princess dance in circles, her face looking up at the sun.

                

“Princess, please…let’s go!”

                

“Wait, Nana, I think I see something over here!” Marion called out. Valtor craned his neck to see what she was looking at. He frowned when he recognized the Roc’s nest. Thankfully the mother Roc was gone, but her devilish babies were still too young to fly and he could hear them rustling up there. He quickly untangled himself from the ground and raced to stop her from climbing up the tree. Even though they may be just baby Rocs, they were still vicious creatures. He ran around the length of the field, so as not to be discovered. He focused his magic on the princess, trying to persuade her to back away. But for some reason, she was stronger.

                

She lifted her foot and started to haphazardly scramble up the rough trunk of the tree. He hesitated at the edge of the field, should he show himself and pull her away or just use his magic and possibly harm her? He raised his hand, ready to cast whatever spell needed.

                

She was at least six feet up and was creeping closer and closer to the nest. Her violet colored slippers were slick against the wood and suddenly she felt no branch  beneath her feet, she reached for the nearest branch but gravity had already pulled her too far below any branches.

                

Valtor burst from out of the field to catch her, but the ground had already caught her.

She crumpled beneath the nest, shaken up, but unharmed. She lifted her head and for a frozen moment Valtor towered over her. His arms were reaching downward to help her up. He looked at her with deep concern.

                

“Princess! Where are you?”

              

Valtor whirls and could see the top of the maid’s head bobbing up and down through the field. He locked eyes with Marion before he turned away and ran back into the tall grass to take cover. Right as he was well concealed, the maid broke free and kneeled next to her.

                

“Marion! What were you thinking? Oh no matter, I think we should go back to the castle.

Marion sat in stunned silence, but finally nodded and followed her maid back towards the castle. And invisible in the tall grass, Valtor watched.

****

                

For the next passing years, Valtor returned to Domino often to see how the little princess was faring. She was very accident prone, and multiple times Valtor played the guardian angel, which he thought was ironic. His destiny was to destroy the good things like Princess Marion, that was his purpose in life. But for some reason, he could never imagine hurting the little princess.

                

But Marion didn’t stay a little princess forever. By the time she was fourteen, she was already turning young boy’s heads and considered the most beautiful woman on Domino. Valtor felt jealous that Marion had the opportunity to attend school and grow up with friends. He had been a child once, but he had lived alone with his mothers and never got to go to school or even play. He had never experienced fun like children did. His definition of fun was seeing a village claimed by his fires.

                

He was shocked to discover that Marion was the bearer of the Dragon Fire, he was her opposite. But concern took over when he watched her and realized she had no idea how to use magic, she was terrible. He frowned when he saw classmates giggling at her failed attempts to cast a spell, something would have to change soon…

****

                

“HELP! Please, someone!” A shout echoed down a seemingly bottomless canyon. Hanging by only a single hand, the young princess was waiting for her life to come to a sudden end. “Please! I’m slipping!” She shouted. She attempted a spell, but only a small spark of magic escaped her fingertips and it quickly plummeted to the ground far below, like dandelion fluff.

                

As she felt her fingers slowly lose their grip, a strong hand swallowed hers and effortlessly pulled her free from the dangerous precipice. She heard a grunt as he flung her onto her feet and coincidentally into his arms.

                

“Thank you so much!”  Marion gasped between giant gulps of breath. “I am forever in your debt!” She craned her neck up to see her savior.

                

The man looked ageless, his pale hair grew past his waist and his eyes were piercing. His face was stern and expressionless.

                

“It was nothing.” He breathed before releasing her from his arms. He awkwardly stepped away from her.

                

“Wait a minute…” She breathed, thinking. “I recognize your face! I’ve seen you before.”

                

Valtor said nothing.

                

The princess gasped. “You! You’re the one that’s always been looking out for me! You saved me when I was just a little girl, I was lost and you brought me back to my parents. And you were there when I fell from that tree!”

                

The man flinched, “I’m surprised you remember.”

                

“Who are you?” Her eyes glistened. “And how is it you look exactly the same as you were so many years ago?”

                

The man bowed, his coat flourishing behind him. “I am Valtor, I’m immortal.”

                

“Immortal? Wizard?” The girl grinned. “That must mean you can use magic!” She then suddenly frowned. “Oh! My manners! I am Princess Marion of Domino!” She curtsied. “I don’t know magic very well, and seeing that you are like my fairy godmother…sort of…maybe you could help me?”

                

Valtor took a step away. “It’s best if you do not get close to me, princess”

                

Marion smirked. “I don’t think that’s true, I’ve seen you all my life, looking over me. You must be a good guy.”

                

He smirked, “Princess, you are still so innocent.”

                

She scowled. “Innocent! I’m fifteen years old! Practically an adult.”

                

That made Valtor laugh out loud. “How rude of me!”

                

“You haven’t answered my question!” She jumped a step closer to him, her eyes pleading. “Can you teach me magic? Please?”

                

He studied the young princess. She was right, ever since that day when Marion – just a toddler – had pranced into his lap, he had watched her from a distance, watching her grow. He suddenly didn’t know how to feel, now that she knew he existed.

                

“Valtor?” She grinned. “Please?”

                

He sighed, how was it possible for a young princess to twist his arm so easily? “Lessons begin tomorrow, meet at the base of the castle’s hill at half past noon.”

                

“Aye aye!” She saluted and then pranced away. “Thank you Valtor!”

                

The wizard watched the young princess until she was a dot in the distance. His heart was pounding like a thunderstorm inside his heart. It had been almost a year since he had last seen her, and she was beautiful, stunning, even at fifteen.

                

“I mustn’t get distracted.” He reminded himself as he hiked away from the cliff towards his cave that was hidden perfectly on the side of an overshadowed hill. This had been his home ever since Domino had been created. This was where he had been created. He flexed his fingers and then, in one fluid motion, removed his coat and took a seat on a bed that had suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was nice to be home after such a long time, and he had seen Marion again.

****

“What took you so long?” Valtor shouted to her when she met him in the woods.

            

“It took forever for my tutor to fall asleep.” Marion groaned.

               

“You always use that excuse, Marion.” Valtor chuckled.

                

“It’s true!” Marion punched him.

                

“Do you want to improve your magic or not?” Valtor threatened, “because I can leave whenever.” He smiled, waiting for Marion to react.

                

“Val-tor!” Marion whined, “Don’t leave.”

                

“I won’t, you know I never will.”

                

Marion was serious, “Never?”

                

Valtor’s grey eyes bored into Marion’s wide green eyes, “I promise. I’ll stay with you forever.” He stared at her for a moment and then broke his gaze. “Why don’t I teach you how to use an enemy’s magic to your advantage.”

                

Marion moaned, “They never made me do this at Alfea.” She collapsed on the cave floor, feigning exhaustion. “Can’t we just sit and talk, Valtor?”

                

He said nothing, but gracefully sat cross legged next to her. After just a few moments of silence, he turned to her, “What would you like to talk about?”

                

Marion had just returned from her first year at Alfea. Already he could see the powerful fairy she had become. All Dragon Fire bearers were natural magic users, and it was common for them to be late bloomers. He knew that she had had no reason to worry. She had studied tirelessly with him before she left for Alfea every single day in his cave. She was a natural at magic. And the year away from him had made her seem even more beautiful than he remembered. Every day she was getting more and more refined. He was beginning to miss having to rescue her now that she was so graceful.

                

“How long have you been alive?” She asked. She scooted a bit closer to him to listen easier. “And what made you immortal?”

                

“I was born immortal. I was created by three witches, they are my mothers.” He explained his creation, how his mothers had taken the essence of the dark Dragon Fire, and how his destiny is to become the most powerful wizard in the Magic Dimension.

                

“So you want to take over the whole Dimension…and do what?” She asked. Her golden eyes were wide and interested.

                

He hesitated, tilting his head and taking his time to answer. “We want to control it, take the power as ours.”

                

“But why?”

                

He stopped. In all the centuries he had been alive, he had never thought to ask them why they needed the power. He had been created to follow their orders, and that was what he did.

                

“Valtor, you’re an adult, you don’t have to obey them anymore.” She said with a smirk. He frowned, she had just read his mind, he had felt her presence in his head. He had taught her that just yesterday, and she had already mastered it. He was afraid to teach her magic now that she was such a powerful fairy, her magic was different than his, it was good and bright. His was dark magic, made from Dark Dragon Flame. He didn’t want to corrupt her. He tried to teach her neutral spells, mind reading was one of those.

                

He shook his head, “Yes, but I am also just a creation. I’m different.”

                

She sat up straight and shook her head vigorously. “No Valtor, you’re wrong. You don’t have to be stuck with your mothers, you can be your own person. You can do what you want. If you don’t want to take over the Dimension, you don’t have to.”

               

"But it is my birthright.” He tried to make her understand.

                

She frowned, “Never mind, I probably need to head back to the castle, or else my mother and father will be worried. Good night, Valtor.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before she skipped out of the cave.

               

His heart leapt up like a fish leapt out of water and his whole body practically melted then. Was it possible for him to change, to be his own person? If it meant spending more time with Marion, he was willing to risk his life against his mothers for her.

****

                

Valtor and Marion, holding hands, stretched out on the grass at night, looked up at the stars. It was something they had done since the beginning of her first summer back from Alfea. She had just returned for the weekend during her second year at Alfea. There were some night when they never spoke a word. But Marion had a lot on her mind that night.

                

“Valtor, is it scary having witches for your mothers?” She asked.

                

Valtor sat in silence for a moment, thinking. “No. They have taught me valuable things; things that will help me to be victorious in claiming the Magic Dimension as ours.” He didn’t say anything else, he knew that Marion didn’t like him talking about dark magic and his destiny. She thought it was dangerous and that he was allowing himself to be persuaded by his mothers. But it was his decision to follow that path.

                

“Is power all that matters?” She asked.

                

“Yes.” He answered as if they were making small talk. “If I don’t become the most powerful wizard in all of the Dimension, my mothers will destroy me.”

                

“Don’t joke, Valtor.” She scolded, “It’s not very funny.”

                

“It wouldn’t be funny even if it was a joke.”

                

Marion looked him, eyes wide with fear, “You’re serious?”

                

“Yeah, they have high expectations for me.” Valtor said flatly, “And I know that I can succeed.”

                

"Valtor,” Marion tightened her grip on his hand, “I don’t like this. Your mothers are mistreating you. No mother should threaten their child, and you shouldn’t have to listen to them. You can decide who you want to be, not who your mothers want you to be. You can choose to be kind, and you don’t have to be the most powerful wizard to be loved or respected. Aren’t I enough?”

                

Valtor felt his stomach flutter, as it normally did when she said things like that, “Marion, I just-“ He sighed, the truth was while he truly believed that his job was to become the most powerful sorcerer, he was willing to change for Marion, to keep her by his side. He didn’t ever want her to leave…he loved her.

                

“Why don’t you just say it out loud silly?” Marion poked him, “You forget that I can read minds!”

                

Valtor smirked, “I taught you that.”

                

“You are the best teacher around.” Marion praised him, “and the best friend a princess could ever have.”

                

“You’re my best friend too.” Valtor said, he stared into her eyes, never looking away. She was the most beautiful woman. If he didn’t have his mothers around, he would leave his entire destiny to become the greatest wizard behind and become the man Marion always dreamed of marrying. But he couldn’t do that, it would put Marion at risk.

                

Marion, still reading his thoughts, touched his arm, “You wouldn’t put me in any risk, you’d keep me safe, and I’d keep you safe, we’d be a team, Valtor.” She leaned in close, her soft rose-scented lips tickling his ear, “Just remember to keep your promise.”

                

“I’ll never leave you, Marion.” Valtor vowed. “I promise.”

                

Marion smiled, “Never?”

                

Valtor smiled back, “Never.”

****

                

“What is his name?” He seethed.

                

Marion had graduated from Alfea, she was eighteen almost nineteen and absolutely ravishing. It was difficult for Valtor to not stare at her for long periods of time. But today it wasn’t so difficult. He had seen her with a man last night when she was supposed to be at lessons with him. Jealousy was difficult thing to conceal for him.

                

“His name is Oritel.” She had her arms folded and she was across the room from him. “He was a student at Red Fountain.”

                

“And you two are…close friends?” He pried maybe a bit too hard.

                

“Valtor, are you jealous?” She asked defensively.

                

“Well, you kissed him…”He didn’t finish his thought, it was too painful.

                

“Technically, he kissed me.” She said. He caught the sparkle in her eyes when she said that.

                

“I don’t like him.” He breathed.

                

Her eyes met his, “That isn’t fair, you haven’t even met him.”

                

“It doesn’t matter, I still don’t like this Oritel.” Valtor fumed as he slumped into his chair. “You didn’t answer my question, are you two close friends.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly say we’re just friends.” She said slowly, her eyes not meeting her gaze. “I may have kissed back.”

  

“You love him!” He stood up, “After one kiss!”

                

“Well I’ve known you since forever, and yet you have never kissed me!” She shouted back. “I knew you loved me ever since I got back from Alfea my first year. I’ve waited years. But you’re too stuffed up in your pride!” She jabbed a finger in his chest, he tried to stand straight and towering over her. “I warned you about your mothers. They’re rubbing off on you, and I’m…worried.”

                

Valtor grabbed her by the shoulders, but she wouldn’t look up from the ground. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ll keep my promise. I’ll never leave.” He pulled her close and waited for her to look into his eyes, to allow him to fix things. Maybe if he kissed her everything would be alright.

Marion stepped away from him, “I have to go. Oritel is taking me to the lake.” She didn’t look back.

A stab of agonizing pain lanced through Valtor. How could this have happened so quickly? He thought everything was going well. But nothing ever good happens to the bad guy. Valtor stormed out of the room, he needed to let off some steam.

               

In the cave he called home, Valtor released spell after spell, allowing them to ricochet against the walls. His anger didn’t seem to end. He wondered if Marion was enjoying herself without him, if Oritel was going to hold her hand, or kiss her again. He threw another spell at the wall, lightning sparks showered above him. The ground shook, disturbed. Was she slowly leaving him? Another spell against the wall. He felt betrayed, and alone.

Completely alone.

Transmutare

This is a short story I wrote about a year ago and just recently read it over again and realized that it's actually a kind of cool story! I'd like to conclude it someday, but for now this is all I've got and I hope that you enjoy it! I'd love to hear what you guys think!

A sudden lance of pain, screams, then silence.

The moon fell below the mountains, the hint of a sun slowly peaked on the east horizon.

Its warm rays caught skin as it peeked through the windows of a barred up and abandoned house. It was light skin, pale and smooth, not a blemish in sight.

Her eyes flung open, a wave of emotions crashed over her: pain, soreness, fear, but most of all confusion. She looked at her hands, her feet, her hair, sweat ran down the side of her face. This body wasn't hers…this sweat wasn't hers, nothing was hers.

Who am I? She screamed in her head.

Leaping off the mutilated bed, the girl scratched at her skin, searching for a familiar touch, but it all felt so wrong. She touched the walls, the floor, anything trying to feel something that was familiar, that was hers. But she didn't even know who she was; she recklessly searched the abandoned house. It was completely empty besides her and the bed.

She didn't realize until then that giant tears were covering her face. She wiped them away, but only more sobs came. Collapsing onto the rough wood floor, she cried. Everything felt so wrong. Even the pain of slivers from the wood floor felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable on this new skin. This body wasn't hers, the tears that were dripping off of her chin, they didn't belong to her, they belonged to this unfamiliar shell that was called a body.

The sun rose higher, it was almost noon.

With no tears left to cry, the nameless girl rose from the tear-streaked floor. She had to find out who she was. She caught sight of a giant hole in the back door, unlike the rest of the empty house that was inches deep with dust, the dust around the hole looked as if someone had been dragged or crawled in like a worm into the house.

She crawled out of the hole and blinked as she stared into the sunlight. She was in the middle of a lifeless desert. The house was slanted and broken looking, just the way she felt.  In the distance she saw sky scrapers and towering hotels. Someone could help her there. She looked down at herself, she was barefoot and wearing a nightgown. She knew there was nothing she could do to change that, so she started the long trek to the city.

****

A few hours passed, and she caught sight of a lonely road that was the only way to the city. She didn't like the emptiness of the road, and so she walked beside it. The hike was long, and she was hungry. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it and the painful, uncomfortable feeling that came with it.

                

A sleek orange sports car pulled up in front of her.

               

“Hey, crazy girl!” A teenage boy with fiery red her waved. “Do you know where you’re going?”

                

“No.” The girl jumped at the sound of her own voice, it felt like sandpaper against her throat, but it sounded so confident, it most definitely was not her voice.

                

“Do you realize what you’re wearing?” He pointed at her, “and no shoes?”

                

She looked down, what was once a white silk nightgown was now rags. Her white, creamy legs shook with fear and exhaustion.

                

“You need help.” The boy muttered to himself, but she still heard him, and glared. He turned back to her, “Get in; I’ll take you to the hospital.”

                

The girl shook with panic upon hearing the word hospital. Flashes of white lab coats and fake smiles, the feeling of someone slicing into her stomach, she shook her head. “No, no! Please, not there!” She begged.

                

The boy’s face softened. “Okay, okay! I won’t take you there, just let me help you.” He reached across and opened the passenger door. “Get in.”

                

She hesitated. Could she trust him? He watched her stand there idly and smiled at her. She finally slid into the car and awkwardly pulled the door shut.

The girl shook the whole ride to the city. The boy watched her carefully.

                

“Are you cold?”

                

She shook her head.

                

“Do you have a name?”

                

She shook her head again.

                

“Oh. Sorry.” He stared at the road as he accelerated towards the city. The silence bothered him. “I’m Layne. I live out in the country, but I work in the city. Farm work just doesn't cut it for me.”

                

He glanced at her to check and see if she was okay, she frowned when he stopped talking.

                

“Keep talking.” She whispered. “Please.” There was something in her voice, was it fear?

                

Layne’s mind went blank. Talk? About what? “I…umm…I go to school, do you?”

                

“I don’t know, I don’t know who I am.”

                

Layne glanced at her, shocked. “You don’t remember?”

                

She shook her head, “No…well…I don’t know.” She tensed up, “I’m just not who I was before, and I don’t know who I am.” She looked out the window, making sure Layne didn't see her cry, but he caught a crystal tear fall.

                

“It’s okay.” He said. “I’ll help you, somehow.”

                

When they reached the city, the girl couldn't break her eyes away from anything. She had never seen anything that looked so alive and busy before, or at least she couldn't recall. Cars zoomed past, people jostled through people to get to work, to school, the coffee shop. There were people everywhere.

                

“Look familiar at all?” Layne slowed down to let her take it all in.

                

“No…but it’s beautiful. Everything is so energetic and bright and…” She lost the words she was going to say.

                

“Alive?” He guessed.

                

She nodded.

                

“You hungry?”

                

She grabbed her stomach as it growled.

                

He laughed, “That answers my question.”

                

She smiled, Layne was so kind to her, it was the first thing that actually felt correct and comfortable in this unfamiliar body.

                

“Let’s get you some clothes too.” He pointed at the muddy nightgown. “Here, put on my coat.” From the backseat he grabbed a long, black trench coat.

                

Layne parked the car in the library parking lot. Across the street was a small café. He gently led her to its welcoming doors. She ate ravenously. He couldn't help but wonder where this girl came from. He watched her carefully as she ate. Her body was covered in small scratches and bruises. Her thick brown hair looked as if it hadn't had a good soaking in a long time, and her green eyes were dulled and downcast. His imagination got the best of him, and he imagined her living in a padded room, with no windows, no lights, and no one else to comfort her. He shook the thought away. That kind of stuff only existed in the movies.

                

“Can I give you a name?” He finally asked on the way to the mall. He felt weird saying it, and smiled awkwardly, hoping it would ease some of the fear the girl may have.

                

She nodded, slightly smiling.

                

“Hmmm…” He took a long look at her as they walked. “Jane…you look like an Jane.” He smiled, pleased at his artistic name. It had actually been his grandmother’s name and it was the first thing he had thought of, but it fit her perfectly.

                

The name sounded wonderful to her. It felt right, as if she really was Jane. Her smile grew. “I like it.”

                

At the mall, Layne bought her a pair of jeans, a white tee, and black, sturdy boots. “Keep the jacket, it looks nice on you.” He said after she tried to return it.

                

Jane enjoyed Layne's company, in fact she loved it. Nothing that day felt right except for Layne. She didn't want the day to end.

                

“Do you have a place to stay?” Layne asked, then instantly felt silly for asking. He had found her on the side of a road with no memory of who she was, the answer was pretty clear. He mentally slapped himself.

                

She shook her head, she didn't want to go back to the abandoned house.

                

“Then if it’s alright with you, I’ll take you back to my place. My mom has a spare room set up for emergencies.”

                

As soon as they left the city and were driving on the empty road, Jane turned to him. “Tell me about you, your life? What’s it like?”

                

“It’s pretty boring, really.” He said. “I live on a farm, and that’s how it will always be. My life lacks excitement.” He smiled. “Until I met you.”

                

She blushed.

                

In the country, nestled in a small town, Layne’ house was a two story red brick house, with a white picket fence. “Yeah, it’s kind of cliché.” He said when they pulled in. “I sort of can’t wait to get out of this house and get my own apartment in the city.”

                

“I love this house.” Jane breathed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered a house very similar to this one that felt safe to her. This one felt the same way.

                

Layne’s family welcomed her in with open arms. Layne’s mom was a large and boisterous woman who made the best homemade pies in the planet and had the most infectious laugh. Layne’s dad was a bit more mellow, he didn’t say much but he caught every word said and every motion a person made. At first, Jane felt nervous next to him, but by the end of the night, she felt safe next to him. Layne’s siblings, all older than him tended to be more like their mother. They were loud, and loved to tease Layne, but they were very kind and open to Jane. And they constantly insisted she took more food, saying she was too thin.

                

When it came time to go to bed, Layne’s mother led her up to a spare bedroom on the second floor of the farm house. Jane loved her new bedroom. It was tidy and simple, but cozy. After a warm bath, she changed into a bright yellow pair of pajamas Layne’s older sister had lent her; they had ducks all over them. She slid under the covers of her soft bed and breathed in deeply. While her body still didn’t feel like her own, she felt like she could maybe get used to living like this if she had to.

                

Layne snuck into her room. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Sorry about my family, they can be a bit overwhelming.”

                

She nodded. “I’m okay. And I love your family. I wish I knew who my family was.”

                

Layne slid onto her bed. “You can stay as long as you need to, and I’m sure any of us would be happy to help you find your family.”

                

“Thank you.” She smiled softly. “Could you tell me more about yourself? I’m not quite ready to fall asleep yet.”

                

He grinned and then sat cross legged at the end of her bed and suddenly burst out story after story of his life. She learned about his dreams of becoming an architect, and how in first grade he broke both his arms jumping off of the fire pole rather than sliding down it. She wished she could trade stories back, but at the same time, she didn't mind just listening. She asked about his car, he laughed and told her how his uncle had given it to him as a project for the summer to fix up, and in the end he got to keep it. She found out that he worked as a teller for a bank in the city and was also about to start an internship with an architect the following school semester.

                

Before either of them knew it, the clock downstairs struck midnight; they had been talking for hours.

                

Before Layne could say another word, a sudden lance of pain shuddered through her body. Her skin tightened and stretched, then loosened, then tightened again. Her bones felt like they were snapping and breaking, reshaping themselves inside of her. She curled over in pain and began to scream.

                

Layne watched in horror, backing away as he saw her beautiful form change before his eyes. She ripped the blankets away and before he could stop her she blindly sprinted out of the room and down the stairs. He could hear her thrashing about and a sudden explosion of glass breaking.

                

“What happened?” His family ran into the bedroom.

                

“Jane!” Layne broke free from his frozen state of fear and recklessly ran out of the house to find her. How could he have just let her run away like that? How could he just let himself freeze when she needed his help. He couldn't lose her, he ran out into the farm lands, listening and looking for her everywhere. But it was too dark, and her screams were gone and there was no sign of her anywhere.

                

“Jane.” He breathed out.

                

“Layne, come back inside.” His mom shouted. “We’ll look tomorrow!”

                

He lingered outside a bit longer, hoping to see her pale figure in the distance. But eventually he turned around and went back inside.

****

                

Night passed, the moon fell beneath the mountains, the sun peaked across the eastern horizon.

                

Buried beneath bales of hay, he opened his eyes, nothing felt right. He shuddered when he felt the hay scratch against his body. This wasn't right. This was not who he was...this was wrong. He looked down. He was dressed in bright yellow pajamas with ducks all over them. They were too small for him. This wasn't him. None of it was. This body didn't belong to him.

                

Who am I?