On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 6:08 PM, Jack Moore <[email protected]> wrote:
> AN: This would have gone up days ago but...life. Due to formatting > problems with IV, resubmitting it. This is the end of it. > > March 17th, 707 > > "Is he awake?" > > "I think so." > > I could hear voices. I scrunched my eyes closed as hard as I could. Wait, > how can I feel this? I had been in a room with a ragman, now I felt like I > was waking up. > Congratulations, you're alive. > > "Yep awake. Let's say hello." > > "You'll scare him. Let him wake up naturally." Two voices and I recognize > neither. My sleepy brain filled in the blanks for me. Obviously, I'd been > kidnapped and was being held hostage by two people for reasons I did not > know. > > Now when you think you've been kidnapped, there is an easy way to tell. If > for example, you are laying in a soft bed with your head wound treated, > you've probably not been kidnapped. > > Statements like this are what qualify me to control a city. > I'm glad to see there are at least some standards. > > I could still feel my arms, but not move them. The two voices were talking > but I felt a barrier between us. > > If you think you're qualified and your kidnappers are torturing you by > putting you in a warm soft bed, you have several options. You can scream > for help, that's always a popular one. You can try to escape. Or you can > stealthily throw your arm around looking for something to hit them with. > If I can't see them, they can't see me. > > "What is he doing?" > > "I think he's looking for something to hit you with." > > [...] > > I felt the urge to open my eyes but tried to suppress it. Hot breath > rolled across my face, I scrunched my nose. The urge to see what > overwhelming. Can't keep the world out anymore. I opened my eyes. > > "Hi." A massive green scaled thing stared back at me. Okay, no need to > panic James. Just react the most calm and rational way you can. > "Die!" > The calm rational thoughts of a future ruler. > > I threw up my arms and reigned blows upon him. > Go future lord. Rule over those blows. (It's rained, in fact Google's example sentence for the word is almost exactly this sentence minus the first clause) > > I put all of my energy into every punch, making sure he felt my pain. > "Feel the agony!" The green lizard man looked at the other figure and > shrugged. "Why won't you die?" > Because he's not quite as fragile as you are. > > "A few reasons." I pounded away at the invincible lizard man. "You can > stop now." > > "Never! I will escape this kidnapping!" > > "We're not kidnapping you." The lizard said. > > "Lies!" > Stick to the classics when it comes to uncomfortable truths. Deny everything! You'll make a great leader. > > "Why would we want to?" The raccoon man asked. I tired pounding the > lizard's > face now. My problems included having no energy to fight, no plan of > attack, no > experience in fighting and no hope in general. "Cope knock him back down, > he's going > to hurt himself." > > "Alright." The lizard placed one finger between my eyes and pushed me > down. I > struggled valiantly under that finger. > > "Do not touch me!" > That's right, make lots of noise. Maybe you'll scare it off. > > "He's a grateful patient." The second speaker came closer, this one a > raccoon > an. 'Maybe I can beat him to death.' > > [...] > When someone has done something nice for you like say, healed your nearly > fatal > head wound, there are several ways to react. The right way is to show > gratitude. The > wrong way is to follow my example. > Really? But you've been setting such an excellent example so far. > > "I'm done resting and this place smells like a barnyard." Because you > usually see > lizards and raccoons around barns moron. > Hey! It's no fun picking on you if you're just going to do it for me. (Also not really relevant, but Chrome's spellchecker doesn't think "raccoons" is a word and is suggesting I replace it with "accordions".) > "I want to leave and I want to leave now. > Where is this place?" > > "This is Metamor Keep, you— > > "I do not want to hear anything else!" I snapped. "This is the cursed > place!" > Yes, that has been established. Good to see that your head wound is healing. > > "Well yes and— > > "You will escort me out now." I said. "I won't hear another word!" > > "You're going to have too." The raccoon said. "My name is— > > "Don't care." > No wonder you're so bad with names. > > Now they both were looking annoyed. > > "You may call me Coe." The raccoon mumbled something else under his > breath. > > "I'm a raccoon morph as you can tell, kind of a— > > "Don't care!" > Excellent people skills. > > [...] > > "I do not have to speak to you." I said. Yep James, just keep working > those > people skills. That'll endear you to many a reader. > Stop stealing my thunder. > > "I want to leave and you will escort > me out immediately." > > "Okay your family will be coming here." The lizard said. "You just have to > wait. > My name is Copernicus, yours is James correct?" > At least someone in this room can remember names. > > "James of House Dorothea, oldest child, servant of the empire and future > lord of Isenport." > I said. Copernicus smiled. He was actually there for a reason, but we'll > get to that later. > "You will not address me; I do not wish to speak to you." I forced the > covers off my > body and gave a shriek. "What am I wearing!?" > Um... I don't know, how about clothes? > > "A tunic and pants." Coe said. I gripped the bed to avoid passing out. The > feeling of this rough, ugly and dull cloth made my skin crawl. "What?" > > [...] > > "This is terrible!" I said. "The stitching on these pants are wretched, I > could do a > better job than this. I have done a better job than this! And why will you > not explore > colors outside of the beige spectrum?" > You show 'em what a manly modern man the future Lord of Isenport is. (Also, the stitching 'is' wretched, not are.) > > "[...] > > "We thought you were dead!" > > "I'd rather have been than in this place." I said. > Careful what you wish for. > > [...] > > 'Their eyes are on you James. Show them you are strong.' > > I forced one foot forward. Then another. One two, one two over to a chair > against the wall. Finally I collapsed, panting hard. "Ha!" > That'll show 'em. You made it all the way across the room before falling over. > > "Was he supposed to be able to do that?" Copernicus asked. > > "Not as far as I know." > > [...] > > "You know, if you want to get out of here" Coe said, "Cope sometimes gives > tours of this place." Cope shot the raccoon a death glare. > > "Why would I want to spend more time in this place with either of you?" I > asked. > "Ugh, it'll get me out of this room, I accept." That's so kind of you > moron boy. > That's my line narrator. > > "Well I used to do tours." Copernicus said, "Uh not had the time anymore. > Besides, aren't you too weak to be standing up?" > > "Are you trying to avoid me?" I asked. "I just said I'd allow you to show > me > around this backwater stain." Was I really this obnoxious? > Absolutely. > > "Can't imagine where you got that I idea." The lizard said. "Do you really > think > you're strong enough?" > > "I know it!" > No you don't. > > "Alright I can show you around." Cope, being far nice than I would have > been, > helped me too my feet and lead me out. He started talking I believe but I > immediately > blocked him out. > ^comma after but. > > I moved through sheer force of will. Every step was labored and my muscles > were virtually frozen. 'Can't let them see me look weak.' > It's not like they saw you covered in blood and nearly dead and fighting for consciousness over the past two weeks or anything. > > [...] > > Isenport is not small. I'm used to seeing buildings stretching out in all > directions > with people crammed into them. What I wasn't used too was the image of a > wolf on two > legs and an utterly beautiful woman walking in front of me while > discussing something. > > "…wow." I whispered. Cope smiled. > Finally, speechless. > > [...] > > "Done gawking?" > > "I wasn't gawking." I stammered. "Just wondering why we stopped moving. I > don't want to just sit on my ass doing nothing." The smile was replaced by > a frown. "Is > there anywhere I can get very drunk while waiting?" > > "You could show some gratitude." > Him? I don't think he knows how. > > "Not to any of you." What an ass. "In fact I can't wait to leave this > place. I bet > you can't too." He shook his head. "What's that for? You're never going to > see me > again and thankfully I'll never see you." > > "You were in a bed for two weeks!" Cope said. > > "Yes we've established that." > You remembered something! You'll be over that head wound in no time. > > [...] > > "Feel the skin around your eyes." I didn't want to do what he asked, but > even > more than that I wanted quiet. So I reached up and touched the area beside > my left eye. > 'No no no no' I scrambled away from Cope, moving as fast as my frozen legs > would carry me. 'Nononono' I stopped at the first window I could find and > stared at my > face. > > "No…" And golden eyes stared back at me. "No!" Across my nose were scales, > small pebbles, cool to the touch. "Oh no no no I can't no no no." > > [...] > > "Am I cursed?" I asked. > No. > > "Yes." > > [...] > > "Don't touch me. Don't…damn it I didn't want this." Blood rushing through > my > ears blocked out the world and my head dipped between my knees. "I want > this to stop, > get me out of here." > > "James you— > ^missing quotation mark. > > "Don't talk to me!" I cried. "Don't look at me, don't talk to me, leave me > alone." > Copernicus didn't say a word but he did sit beside me. He put an arm > around me and I > couldn't knock it off. > > For that I am grateful. > > > When your life goes into a stop, you have two options. To try to pull out > back to > your previous pitch or to ride along with it until you reach the end. > Often if you do not > decide, life will decide for you. > ^stall? and colon after options. > > [...] > > Four days passed before the moment I dreaded arrived. > > "Your family is here." > > > Why did they leave the edge of the valley? Why did they wait so long? I > knew > walking out into the day light I wouldn't receive a satisfactory answer. > Maybe it's 'cause they didn't want to be cursed. > > [...] > > "It's me." I said. "This is me…" No it wasn't. It was a me half mutated > and a > flush with scales. This was not the me I had been. > Well, the new you can't be any worse than that you. > > [...] > > "This can't be happening." Father said. > > "Sir!" Nemo spoke up. "No matter what, this is your son. Maybe with more > scales then the last time you saw him, but your oldest son none the less." > > "My son is not an animal." > Denial: an important trait in a modern man. > > [...] > > "You're still you no matter what." Muffin said. "What's Metamor Keep like? > What are the people like?" > > "Strange." I said. "You wouldn't like it. They're rude and they don't > listen to > you when you talk." Muffin frowned. "What?" > No, you're just describing yourself. > > "Just surprised. I think this place is amazing." > > "Oh what do you know?" I snapped. She sighed. > See. She's just trying to help, and you keep brushing her off. > > "[...] > > "Yes I do." He swallowed. "My son was injured but the injuries were far > worse > than we thought." > > "…No" > > "When we found him, he was bleeding, near death. We got him to Metamor > Keep > to be healed but they couldn't do anything." > > "No!" The crowd of phantoms took a step away from us, yet kept watching. > > "My son died after eighteen days. His body was bloody and broken so we > buried > him on the journey." > Hey, you did wish you were dead. > > "I'm not dead!" I screamed. I lunged at my father but Nemo held me back. > "Let > go of me!" > > [...] > > "I'm not dead!" > Just keep denying it. > > [...] > > They walked out of my life and left me in a city of strangers. > > My hand grows tired. I will stop no > ^now. > > We have no control over our first birth but we do over the many little > births that > follow. We choose them. We have no control over the many little deaths in > our life > though, no more than the final one. > > In front of people I would know, I experience my first death. This was to > be one > of the lowest points in my life, though not the lowest. > > At the time I was terrified. Now it seems foolish of me. This place was > perfect to > tame an obstreperous, licentious youth. > > I'll close by wishing all readers luck and encouragement. Nothing is as > hard as it > seems, not once you've survived your own death. And to you my friend, > thanks for your > encouragement to write this. May the blessings of Eli follow you. > > Your friend in the South > > J. > > AN: Thoughts still appreciated > Thoughts given. __________________________________________________ WARNING: The preceding email contained scenes of extreme sarcasm and should not have been read by individuals of a sensitive disposition. Ugh, that took hours. No wonder no one does it anymore. Regardless, I enjoyed the story, and I can't wait for the next one. -AlexSurikat
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