Messy Fairy Tale

"What are you?"

The voice caught Ronaldo by surprise. He had been quite sure he was alone; Thursdays were always his days to be alone. Papa always worked late on Thursdays, and Mum started her night shift early, which meant Ronaldo was left home alone. It wasn't that he liked the solitude, exactly, but he liked being able to do whatever he wanted, no adults to tell him he couldn't.

Today, Ronaldo had decided to go on an adventure in the woods behind the old house his parents owned. After packing his Princess Jasmine backpack with the essentials - crackers, a bottle of milk, a jump rope, a box of crayons, and an extra pair of socks for just in case - Ronaldo had put on his shoes and ventured out into the warm almost-summer air. 

He had been sitting on a rather large rock he'd come across in an otherwise strangely clear area of the woods when he'd heard the voice. It wasn't just the voice that had caught him off guard, but the question. What kind of question was "what are you?" anyways? With a frown on his face, Ronaldo looked around the clearing, trying to find the source of the voice. He didn't see anyone, and his heart beat a little faster in his chest.

"Can't'cha talk?"

If it had only spoken once, Ronaldo might have chalked it up to being alone, but whatever was out there had spoken a second time. The boy was terrified, and he clutched his backpack to his chest. Whipping his head from side to side, he tried to spot whoever was talking to him. He must have looked ridiculous, because whoever - or whatever - it was started laughing at him. Whatever it was, it sounded like a girl, and that made Ronaldo feel just a little bit worse. Girls were scary. 

Maybe, Ronaldo thought, if he just sat there doing nothing, whoever - or whatever - it was would get bored and leave him alone. Besides, hadn't his parents always taught him not to talk to strangers? He felt that went doubly for invisible strangers.

"Well, if ya can't talk...maybe if you act it out. Just sorta wave yer arms in the air when I get it right - you got arms, don't'cha?"

Ronaldo wasn't sure he could act out anything that would get someone to guess "boy." He was always the worst at Charades and preferred not to play. So he just kept sitting there, still as he could manage.

"Goblin! Imp! Dwarf! Brownie! Cyclops! No, wait - they only got one eye."

"I-I'm a...a boy." Ronaldo found he was speaking before he even realized he'd decided to say anything.

"A boy? Never hearda that before. That a type of Gnome?"

It worried Ronaldo that he still had no idea where the voice was coming from. Grasping his backpack tighter still, he peered carefully around the clearing, looking for the source. He thought he saw something moving behind one of the trees off to his right, but he couldn't be sure - it was a little ways away.

"You're kinda boring, aren't'cha? And here I was, thinkin' you were tryin' ta go on an adventure or somethin', what with that sack you got."

An adventure? That certainly caught Ronaldo's attention. He sat up a little straighter and looked for the source of the voice a little harder. He definitely wanted to go on an adventure - that had been the whole reason for coming out into the woods in the first place, after all. That was when he saw it: the source of the voice. Sitting on a barren branch of a tree right in front of him was a tiny girl - couldn't have been more than seven inches tall. Her skin was a sickly looking yellowy-green color, but Ronaldo decided it made her look like a leaf. 

Whatever she was, she seemed to realize that Ronaldo had spotted her. She fluttered down off the dead branch, spreading wings that looked like torn leaves, fresh from a tree in the middle of spring, and she hovered right in front of the boy's nose. Ronaldo could see now that her eyes were completely black, and her teeth pointed. Up close, her appearance frightened him, and he could feel himself trying to draw back, away from whatever she was.

The thing rolled her eyes - or she seemed like she did, anyways - and put her tiny hands on her tiny hips. "I ain't gonna hurt'cha." The way her voice cut through the air, she almost sounded offended. "Don't'chu know what I am?" Ronaldo shook his head slowly, afraid to make a sudden movement.

"I'm a fairy, you idiot!"

A fairy? Ronaldo had never really believed fairies existed, and if he had, he never would have imagined them looking like this thing. Before giving himself time to think or react, Ronaldo had lifted his own hand away from the safety of his backpack and jabbed at the fairy with his forefinger. "Watch it!" The fairy yelped as she darted to the side, avoiding the finger. She did not looked pleased about the jab.

Drawing his hand back quickly, Ronaldo eyed the fairy for a little while longer. She was interesting to watch, moving the way a fly might, zig-zagging through the air. She darted this way and that, moving towards a path Ronaldo had not noticed before. It was set perfectly between the two tallest trees surrounding the clearing, their branches bent together, giving the path a natural-looking doorway. Something about it felt magical, and Ronaldo could hardly take his eyes off of it now that he saw it.

"You comin' or not?"

Nodding carefully, Ronaldo put his Princess Jasmine backpack on his back and carefully climbed down off the rock, his eyes wide with wonder as he stepped closer to the doorway. As he did so, it seemed to shimmer, the way a moth's wing might. He stood staring at the magical doorway, in awe. The fairy hovered in front of his face once again, a look of annoyance on her leafy face.

Looking almost ashamed, Ronaldo stepped through the shimmer. As he did so, the world around him seemed to change. The forest melted away, a metallic sea of silver grass waved at him. He heard himself gasp, felt himself whip around to look for the doorway. It was gone.

"Where are we?" Ronaldo's voice had a quiver of fear to it. The fairy stuck her miniature face in his, looking rather confused. "What'd'ya mean 'Where are we?'!? Yer a fay, aren't'cha?" Ronaldo carefully shook his head. He didn't even know what that meant. "No?! I coulda sworn they told me yer the kid of Morgan..." The fairy flew in her zig-zags, and Ronaldo was sure he heard her muttering something about "nabbing the wrong kid." Looking at the sea of shiny grass around him, Ronaldo thought for a moment. 

"What's yer name, kid?"

"Ronaldo."

"Ronaldo? What kinda name is that for a- nevermind. Yer mum, what's'er name?"

"Morgan?"

"Is she Morgan Fay? Is yer mum Morgan Fay?"

"N-no? She's, er, Morgan Pellichero... She's got the same name as me and Papa." The fairy fluttered away, clearly frustrated. Ronaldo stood there, looking worried, wondering how he was going to get home. "'Scuse me, er, Ms. Fairy?"

Ronaldo's word drew and angry glare from the leafy fairy. "It's Uri." The fairy's voice showed more than a little irritation. She continued on her zig-zagging path, back and forth, muttering angrily to herself about something Ronaldo didn't understand. She stopped suddenly, turning to look at Ronaldo with an almost suspicious expression. "What'd'ya want?"

"It's just... How do I get home?"

Uri laughed at the question, and it was like the chiming of delicate bells. She dropped a few feet in the air, having laughed so hard she forgot to keep her wings going. "Yer a hoot, Kid!" Ronaldo wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel worried or afraid at her response. Did that mean he wouldn't be going home? Ever? He felt the heat rise up in his cheeks, the tears were already threatening to fall. The first tear slipped over his cheek.

Uri stopped laughing, hovered mid-air, her mouth ajar, as she stared. "Oh no. Don't cry, Kid..." It was obvious she didn't know what to do with a crying kid. "It's just... y'know... There's this thing we gotta do! A....adventure! Yea!"

Ronaldo sniffled and wiped the tears off his cheeks. "An adventure?" That sounded...well, fun. It was what he'd been hoping for all along, even if he hadn't really known it would be an adventure as big as this was turning out to be.

"Yea, Kid. C'mon. We gotta go meet the Queen of Morterre or whatever."

"REALLY?!" His excitement was nearly tangible. Uri was not anywhere near as excited about it as Ronaldo was.

"Er...yea, really. Just, er, follow me, awright?" 

"Alright!" Ronaldo punched the air in his excitement, afterwards looking slightly abashed that he'd done such a silly thing - people didn't actually do that in real life. Uri - somehow - rolled her eyes again before fluttering away and back. "Well, c'mon, then."

Ronaldo hurried after the fairy, a grin on his face, the tears forgotten. His Princess Jasmine backpack leaped for joy as Ronaldo ran through the grass. It was softer than he thought it would have been - it felt like a puppy's fur, and the boy let his hand graze the top of the grass as he ran.

Before too long, Ronaldo and Uri came to a small stream. It was just too barely too wide to jump across. Uri, of course, had no problem flying straight across the water. Ronaldo on the other hand frowned, trying to judge how deep the water was. Uri shouted something from across the stream, but Ronaldo hadn't heard her. He decided to take off his shoes and wade through the water. The current didn't seem like it would be strong enough to drag him down, so with a smile on his face, he did just that.

As soon as Ronaldo stepped in the water, though, something grabbed his ankle, and he yelped in terror. Uri flew up to his face and growled, "I told you not to touch the water!" 

The hand around Ronaldo's leg was slimy and cold. The boy couldn't bring himself to look down at whatever was holding him hostage, but he wasn't ready for his adventure to end. Whimpering and afraid, he peered downwards, one eye closed. The thing in the water was staring up at Ronaldo with a toothy grin on its face. "Boy. You dare think to cross my waters, Boy?" Ronaldo didn't know how to respond to the creature. He looked around for Uri, but she was nowhere to be seen. Turning his frightened gaze back to the water creature, Ronaldo looked pathetic. "No one crosses my waters without paying the price." 

Now Ronaldo was really worried. He didn't have any money! He hadn't even thought to bring his piggy bank with him! This pulse quickened with his breathing. "What can you offer me, boy?" Offer? Nothing! He had nothing!

Then he remembered: his backpack was full of treasures!

Ronaldo pulled the jump rope from his back pack and held it out to the creature. The creature's eyes widened in awe. "You would really part with this, Boy?" Ronaldo nodded quickly, as the creature's slimy hand pulled the jump rope out of the boy's hands. "Thank you. You may pass." 

Moving as quickly as he was able, Ronaldo finished crossing the stream. Once he was on the other side, he sat down, panting. After catching his breath, he changed into the dry pair of socks that had been for just in case. The wet ones were put in the water bottle pocket of the back pack, and his shoes were returned to his feet. Feeling ready to continue on his adventure, Ronaldo stood and looked around. He was no longer in the warm silver sea of grass. Instead, he was on the edge of a golden forest. The leaves on the trees looked like they had been forged from gold, copper, and bronze, and they gleamed in the sun. The bark, though, was a soft blue that seemed to move up and down the trunks. It was breath-taking. "Whoa..." 

Realizing he was quite alone again, however, Ronaldo called out, "Uri? Uri!?" in a frightened tone. 

Uri was not the one who responded to his cry, however. Instead, it was a girl - a girl who looked to be about his age. She jumped down from one of the nearby trees, a basket full of ripe purple fruit in her hand. "Hello."

"Erm...H-hello. I'm...I'm Ronaldo."

"My name is Shansa. Are you lost?"

Ronaldo nodded, glancing around once more for his fairy companion. Turning back to the girl in front of him, he noticed her eyes: They weren't quite normal. The color of them kept shifting from a bright beautiful blue, to a warm welcoming green, to an unearthly violet, occasionally slipping into an angry red. "I...I was with Uri, but I've lost her."

"Uri? I do not know this name." Blinking a few times and tilting her head to one side, she continued, "You are odd. I do not believe you belong here." Her tone worried Ronaldo. He took half a step back. "Oh, do not worry. I do not intend to eat you." Ronaldo felt a pinch of relief. "But I cannot speak for my father, and I do intend to bring you to him." Fear paralyzed the boy, his eyes widening. Shansa took the boy's hand, a wicked grin on her face. "Come with me."

It was very difficult, Ronaldo found, to resist this girl's orders. His legs followed her steps without him willing them to. He whimpered pathetically, looking around, hoping beyond hope that Uri would return and help him. But it seemed he was quite on his own.

"W-wait! Before you...bring me to your father..." Shansa stopped and peered curiously at the boy. "M-maybe I can trade you...er...something? You-you let me go, and I-I'll give you...," he paused as he tried to think of what she might like from his back pack. "I'll give you a bottle of milk!" 

Shansa leaned in closer to Ronaldo, eyeing him suspiciously. "Milk? Real milk?" He nodded quickly, as he had with the stream creature. Her eyes narrowed as she demanded, "Show me."

Ronaldo quickly took the bottle of milk from his back pack and offered it to Shansa. The strange girl opened the bottle, tested the milk, and gasped. Looking at Ronaldo with wide eyes and a new respect, she released his hand. "Deal. I will lead you through the woods, avoiding my father. In return, I get this whole bottle of milk." Ronaldo quickly agreed, feeling quite pleased with himself for making such a brilliant trade.

By the time Shansa had led Ronaldo to the other side of the forest, the sun had set on the horizon, lining it with a blanket of rainbow, akin to the colors in her eyes. "I am sorry for treating you poorly, Ronaldo. I do hope you bring more milk the next time you visit." And despite the fear he'd felt at first, Ronaldo decided he rather liked the strange girl.

Turning back towards the horizon, Ronaldo spotted something that looked like a castle. With a smile on his face, he began walking towards it. "Glad you got out, Kid. Sorry I left ya. Had to, though. Fairy business, y'know?" Ronaldo found himself glaring at the source of the voice, even if he secretly was glad that Uri had come back. 

"No thanks to you."

"Oooo, yer gettin' gutsy, Kid. Better not talk like that to the Queen!"

Ronaldo looked at the ground. The sand was quite orange, and the boy wasn't sure how he felt about orange sand.

"C'mon, Kid. We gotta get to the palace before the moon rises." 

"But why?"

Uri stopped zigging around to land on the boy's shoulder. "Because I said so, that's why. But also 'cause once the moon rises, the doors kinda disappear."

"Oh." Ronaldo nodded and quickened his step. 

It really wasn't a long trek to the palace. In fact, it was quite a bit closer than Ronaldo had expected. It was also smaller than he had expected. There was no way a human boy would ever fit in such a small piece of architecture. 

"You wait here. I'll get the queen, 'kay?" Ronaldo nodded as he watched Uri fly off to the doors and enter the palace.

It felt like forever, Ronaldo decided as he stood in the sand, waiting for Uri to return with the queen. Humming a song his mother used to sing to him when he would have a nightmare, he sat down in the sand, and the next thing he knew, he was looking at a tiny version of his mother. Expect her skin was the color of spring, she had wings that looked like the petals torn from a budding rose, and a crown on her head. "Mum?"

"No, my dear boy, I am not your mother. But your mother is my daughter." Ronaldo seemed confused. "I had Uri here, one of my most loyal subjects, lure you here to Morterre in hopes of your mother returning here herself." The boy looked at Uri, hurt at the betrayal. She simply shrugged at him nonchalantly.

"But I want to go home!" The queen laughed, and it was a wicked laugh.

"Oh, my sweet child. I cannot let that happen."

Worry was creeping up Ronaldo's legs, reaching for his heart. What was he going to do? What would his parents do when they found he was missing? Would they come looking for him? Panic was tightening its grip on his chest. He had already overcome his fears twice in his journey to this palace. No one was holding him back now but himself. Taking a deep breath, Ronaldo reached out and picked the fairy queen of out the air, holding her tightly in his fist. "Send me home, Grandmother! Or I'll crush you."

And the queen looked genuinely terrified. She looked at Uri for help, but the leafy green fairy shrugged stating, "Yer on yer own with this one. I don't wanna be crushed, yer highness." 

The queen glared at the boy with a seething rage that only queens seemed able to really muster. She gnashed her pointed teeth at him as she wriggled, trying to free herself. It wasn't long before she gave up, but Ronaldo was certain that had she taken any longer, his will would have given up on him.

"FINE! I shall release you. On one condition." The queen had a wicked smile on her lips as she spoke, watching the boy. "Your mother must take your place here and stay with me for the rest of eternity."

Ronaldo thought for a moment, and then a moment more. "Alright," he said as he nodded. "Open the door." And the fairy queen opened the shimmering portal that would return Ronaldo to the human world. A bold smile on the boy's face, he ran through it, the queen still grasped tightly in his hand.

"What are you doing! No! RELEASE ME!" But he did not release her. And before she could work her magic and close the door, they were through it.

Ronaldo returned to the same rock he'd been sitting on so long ago. In the distance, he could hear his parents calling his name, and he ran towards the sound, the queen of Morterre still clutched in his sweaty palm. 

Emerging from the woods, he ran to his parents, calling for them. The three of them embraced as they collided, smiles and tears on all their cheeks. Until, of course, the fairy queen yelled out, "I DEMAND YOU RETURN TO MORTERRE WITH ME, MORGAN."

"Mother?" Ronaldo's mother looked surprised at the voice. Then with the same surprise on her face, she looked at her son. "I am so sorry I never told you, Ronaldo. I am so glad you're home safe."

The family entered the warm old house, placed the queen in a rather spacious jar, and that was that. They lived quite happily ever after.

A Love Story: Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It wasn't so bad, being broken up, that is. We managed to kind of...be friends anyways, despite it all. I guess it seemed kind of weird, but it would have been worse to lose a friend, right? Well, the day after he broke up with me, he asked if I wanted to come over and watch a movie. I said sure. It was really awkward, though, I should never have said yes. We didn't really watch the movie-- just kind of talked a bit and stuff. I don't think either of us really wanted to be around one another. Once the movie was over, I went back to my apartment. I cried. It had been rough, seeing him like that, not being able to hug him, to kiss him.

A week or so went by-- maybe a week and a half. Either way, our friend Sadie was having a birthday party. Of course we were both going. In fact, we went together, despite still being broken up.

Now, I don't really drink that much, don't find much enjoyment in it. Just headaches. So I wasn't drinking. I had a sip or two of something, but mostly, I just sat around looking like a weirdo as the only one not drinking. 

I was sitting on the couch next to Todd-- did I mention his name was Todd? I guess I missed that. Kind of important. Anyways, his name was Todd and now you know. I didn't know most of the other people very well, if I knew them at all. And, being shy as I was, I was't interested in meeting them. At all. So I just stuck with what I knew, who I knew. Now, Todd was drinking. A lot. He was getting pretty drunk-- I'd never seen him drunk before. He was getting friendlier and friendlier. It was like he'd forgotten that he'd broken up with me. Not that I really minded, considering I was still pining for him like a loser.

We left pretty early, all things considered. The party was still raging, anyways. Since I was sober, I walked Todd back to his place-- I wanted to make sure he got there safe. I still cared about him, after all. I got him all the way up to his room, no major problems. Then he started saying things. Thing about me, about us. And, well, one thing led to another, and next thing I knew, we were banging.

* * * * *

I felt awful having slept with Todd while not in a relationship with him. It just wasn't me, not something I would have done. Except I did, and I am pretty sure it's because of him. After that, I kept spending a lot of time with him, but he seemed to regret sleeping with me that night even more than I regretted it. He was giving me the cold shoulder, basically, and it hurt, especially after that night.

There was a new guy living down the hall. His name was Jeff, and, honestly, he was pretty cute. Funny, too. I spent a lot of time with him, just chatting, really, while I was at Todd's dorm. I ended up having to spend the night a couple of times-- it snowed like crazy and no one could really get out. Classes had even been cancelled, which was insane, which meant it was too dangerous to walk the five blocks back to my own apartment. So I stayed. Working out in the common room, I got to talking with Jeff, and before I knew it, it was pretty late. Todd had gone to sleep and locked me out of the room, so I was on my own. I tried to sleep in the common room on the couch, but it was freezing out there, so I really didn't get much sleep.

Before long, it was Valentine's day. It had been about three weeks since Todd had broken up with me, but I was feeling fine. I was actually finally moving on. I think it was talking to Jeff that did it. He was just so nice and great to talk to. Actually, it was Valentine's day that he asked if I wanted to go ice skating with him the following Sunday. Of course, I said yes-- I freaking loved ice skating! I had been wanting to go since it had gotten cold enough for it. I was really looking forward to it. At the time, I didn't even think of it as what it probably was intended to be: a date.

That Saturday, I was chilling at Todd's dorm again. I told him that I was going to be going ice skating the following day with Jeff. His face darkened, and it's really difficult to describe what it was like. It was almost instant, and a little frightening. It was like he was super pissed at me for something. He explained about how Jeff was this major douchebag and some other stuff. I tried to tell him it wasn't a date-- I really didn't think it was-- I tried to tell him I'd cancel, but he stayed pissed, and I had no idea why. I didn't know what to do.

Todd slipped off his bunk to the floor, grabbed a jacket and just left. Just like that. I was freaking out. It was literally freezing outside. I called one of the girls who lived down the hall that Todd and I had befriended earlier in the year. She did what she could to comfort me, but it didn't seem like she really knew what to do either.

Eventually, with me crying on the floor and her sitting in Todd's desk chair, comforting me, Todd came back, still looking upset. She got up and left. He told me I shouldn't have let her sit in the chair-- that I shouldn't have been on the floor like I was. He still sounded just as angry. He explained that he almost didn't come back, that he'd considered staying out in the cold, letting himself die of hypothermia. That just made me cry all the more. We kept talking, I canceled the "date" with Jeff, who never talked to me again after that, really. But more importantly, Todd and I were back together.

A Love Story: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Before I knew it, it was October. We had been together for four and a half months already. Four and a half! It was the longest relationship I had ever been in! Granted, it was the only relationship I had ever been in. Anyways, it had been four whole months, and every single time I saw him, or he kissed me, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I thought for sure this had to be what love felt like. What else could it be?

We had been hanging out at his dormitory-- yea, he was still in university housing-- and I decided it was time to head back to my own apartment. It was just a couple of blocks away. He decided to walk me there since he wanted to go to the computer lab that was in the next building over and do some work. We were standing on the steps that led up to the building. We hugged, we kissed, said good night and all that. And he said he loved me. I was sure he had said it. My heart leaped and bounded and the next thing I knew, I was telling him I loved him.

Back in my room, my heart was still pounding with the excitement of professing my love, for him telling me he loved me. I couldn't get the smile off my face. It was, by far, the absolute best day of my life. How could anything compare to it?

The next time we parted, I told him I loved him again. It was like I couldn't wait to get it out again and again and again. I wanted to constantly remind him that I loved him, that I really, honestly loved him. There was a slight pause before he said it back. It was strange. A small hiccup, maybe. But everything seemed to be good, so I just let it slip. It wasn't that important. Maybe his heart was just pounding as hard as mine had been. We kissed, said good night, and parted. Again, I couldn't stop smiling. Being in love was the absolute best feeling in the whole world. Nothing could bring me down. Nothing. And nothing had certainly ever made me happier.

* * * * *

Things went on fairly well for the next few months. Classes were going good, relationship was great. Everything seemed to be wonderful. Expect for money. Money was an issue. It was like I had hit a wall and suddenly my life had been turned upside down. My father was refusing to sell any of his collectibles so I could have the money I needed for my tuition bills. My mother was doing literally everything she could to get me the money I needed. I already had a loan and a scholarship-- what else could I do? I went to financial aid, but at a big school like Haskel, it was super impersonal and cold. I ended up seeing some old guy in this cold office. I was sobbing. He looked uncomfortable. He got me some paperwork and got me out of his office as quickly as possible. At least he'd given me a tissue to cry into.

After a terrible meeting with financial aid, I figured it would be nice to see my boyfriend. I went to his dorm and we hung out and I cried and all that. We started to get hungry, as people tend to do, but I couldn't afford to get food with everyone else. I would have to manage with a small grocery trip later on, but that wouldn't help me now. I was starving. They were all getting Chinese, and I was, admittedly, a bit jealous. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was when my boyfriend pulled me to the side and, instead of offering to buy me food, he told me I needed to stand up for myself against my father. He told me that until I called him and told him that he had to sell his shit and help me pay for college, he wasn't going to help me pay for anything. That I should starve if I couldn't stand up for myself. I could hardly believe what I was hearing, but I nodded silently. There was no point in fighting-- he was probably right, anyways. While everyone was eating the Chinese food that had been delivered to the dorm, I sat in my boyfriend's room, on the floor, crying. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten at that point. My stomach was so empty. I attributed my tears to the hunger. I'd be fine. I wasn't going to call my father, though. Trying to tell him what to do from tn hours away via phone would have been like talking to a brick wall. And not a friendly one, at that. So I just let it go.

I was eating less, but I was managing. I did most of my shopping at the 7-Eleven on the corner. It certainly wasn't healthy, but it was better than nothing. I put the comments about food and money behind me, pretending to have forgotten it all entirely. He never mentioned it again.

It was just a couple days later when my boyfriend introduced me to a game called Dragon Age: Origins. He was doing some homework of the non-digital variety, which left his computer open for my use. So I played Dragon Age for the first time. It was spectacular. I had never experienced anything like it before, and I loved it. I was having a great time. I must have played for about an hour, or maybe two, when I turned around to say something to my boyfriend only to find him asleep. I glanced at the time and realized it had been much longer than two hours. It had been nearly twelve. I was flabbergasted. I had had no idea that a game could pull me so far out of the real world so completely to the point of losing track of time. But this one had, and it was one of the best feelings in the world. I stood up to stretch and realized all of a sudden that I had to pee. Really bad. I bolted from the room-- nearly locking myself out-- and ran to the toilet. When I came back, I went back to playing. This time, though, only for about another hour and a half before realizing that I was actually incredibly tired. So I crawled into the bed with my boyfriend, since I would have had to wake him up to do the whole sign-out procedure thing with the dorm, and mushed myself against the wall. He was in the top bunk-- which had no safety bar-- and there was no way I was sleeping on the outside.

Few weeks later, it was the end of January. Valentine's day was in just a couple of weeks, and I was super excited. It was going to be my first Valentine's day as a not-single person. Ever. For all intents and purposes, it was kind of like Christmas. I was at my apartment when I got a call from my boyfriend. Something was up-- he hadn't been feeling too great for the past couple of weeks, not really himself-- so I asked if he wanted to get dinner or something. We met up and went to one of our favorite pizza places just a couple blocks from his dorm. We ordered our pizza, and when it got to our table, he looked miserable. I asked him what was wrong and he just kind of dismissed it. Next thing I knew, he was leaving. He said he'd be back and not to worry. So I ate in silence, worrying.

When he came back, it looked like he had been crying. He said he no longer wanted his pizza, but said that we needed to talk. Looking back, I should have seen it coming, but I hadn't. I had been so blinded by my worry for him that I had been completely oblivious. He tossed his pizza in the trash-- a waste of good pizza.

We walked, side by side, down the street. He was talking about Batman. Explaining how Batman is really just this normal guy. I don't remember much of what he actually said-- just that it involved comparing himself to Batman. He explained that he was depressed, and that when he was depressed, he needed to get rid of the thing that was making him depressed. Apparently, that was me. Or, at least, he thought it was me. By the time we reached my apartment building, he was crying. I was stone-faced, not a single tear on my face or even threatening. He was breaking up with me. I told him that I understood, and that he came first. It was okay. He hugged me, I hugged him. He was sobbing. I let him walk back to his dorm as I made my way up to my apartment where I curled up on my bed and cried harder than I ever had before.

A Love Story: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

For the first two weeks we were together, we could hardly keep our hands off one another. Too bad the second week of our relationship was move-out. Near the end of the week, my mother showed up-- she called me in the middle of an intense make-out and I had to scramble to look presentable, and like I hadn't just almost had my clothes off. It was the furthest I had ever gone with anyone, and it had been exhilarating. Not to mention the adrenaline that was rushing when my mom called. But it was all fine. We didn't get caught or anything like that. It was just exciting in its own way.

So I went home with my mom-- another ten hour car ride. I told her almost everything in a way that-- looking back on it-- seems so typically teenager. "So, Mom. I, uh, I have a boyfriend now. Like, for real. It's kinda cool, I guess." It wasn't awkward until I asked about birth control. To be honest, I don't think it was really that awkward on her end-- she was probably glad I was asking about it rather than risking anything-- but it felt totally awkward on my end, that's for sure. Either way, she said we could make an appointment with the doctor when I got home and all that.

* * * * *

It was the third of July. I was sitting in the airport alone for maybe the second time. I was going back to the city to visit my boyfriend of almost one month for the Forth of July. It was going to be amazing, I was 100 percent sure.

For the first night, I watched him play World of Warcraft. He was raiding with his guild. In the meantime, I downloaded the game onto my laptop-- he had just given it to me as a late birthday gift, and I was ecstatic. So I sat there, watching and waiting, but not really doing much else. Looking back, it wasn't the most exciting night, but at the time, I thought it was amazing. Everything was perfect as I looked at everything through rose-tinted glasses. When he was done raiding, his guild asked him if he was going to be around the next night. I felt my heart leap and my stomach flip as I waited for him to tell them that he wouldn't be able to because he was going to be spending time with his girlfriend, with me, that he was going to take me to see fireworks. Anything. Instead he told them he would probably be around. I felt my heart sink, but I smiled anyways, happy to get another chance to watch him play again the next night-- who really wanted to see fireworks on the Forth of July anyways?

Later that night, he asked about sex. My heart was pounding. I didn't know how to answer him. I hadn't even gone to the doctor to get a prescription for birth control yet. I wasn't ready, but I could tell that he was more than a little eager. I said no, but I made a joke about instead of raiding, maybe he'd be doing me instead. I don't think he found it very funny.

Most of the next day was spent around his house. Boring, regular day. Later, though, he took me to see the fireworks. That was all I had really wanted out of the day-- to see fireworks, and it was fantastic. We sat on the roof of his van together, watching with smiles on our faces.

On the ride home, I kept thinking about sex. With him. I kept wondering if I was supposed to be ready, or if it was okay that I wasn't. I knew he really wanted to do it, and I knew that if I didn't, I would lose him to raiding in World of Warcraft for the rest  of the night and be left to entertain myself. Not that that was necessarily bad, but I had come down to the city to see him, to spend time with him, and I had expected him to treat our limited time together a bit differently. When we got back to his house, he went right for the computer-- he hadn't missed the raid yet, and was getting ready to join his guild. Desperate for his attention, I pulled him away, pulled him to the bed. With the lights off and a mostly dry condom covering him, I lost my virginity-- he did as well-- and God, did it hurt. I should have asked him to stop, should have told him how much it hurt, but I didn't. I just bit my lip and let him keep going. It might have been the longest two minutes of my life.

When it was over, I remember being afraid. There was so much blood. He didn't seem to think much of it, though. He went right back to the computer, though, he had missed joining the party for the raid. More importantly, since he wasn't making a fuss about the blood, I didn't either. I didn't even tell him that I was still bleeding the next day, and the day after that. In fact, I didn't stop bleeding for nearly a week. Most of that week was because I had gotten my period, but those first three days, that had been the scary part because that had not been my period. I never told him how scared I had been that something was wrong. I never told him that I hadn't been ready. I don't think I ever will.

I didn't even tell the doctor about the bleeding. By that time, I had gotten my period and was about to get a prescription for birth control. Of course, I said I was not sexually active-- I'd only had sex once, and wasn't about to for another couple of months at least, so how could I possibly be sexually active. It's a terrible term, if you ask me. Anyways, I started taking the pill the following Sunday, and luckily, the bleeding stopped as well.

* * * * *

About two months later, my mother and I drove down to the city again. This time, instead of going straight to Haskel, we went to his house. His mother was kind enough to let me stay there as a guest until move-in. She even helped me move in. She was always such a wonderful woman. Of course, she still is! But it was just so kind of her to let me stay there for what felt like at least a week before moving in to my new housing down there. It was a lovely time-- she even took me and my mother and her son (my boyfriend) out to dinner while we were all there.

Of course, once my mother left, and his mother went to work, we were left alone in the house. We had already had sex once, so there was an expectation that I would do it again. The pressure was brutal, but I pushed it away, telling myself that I would have fun and enjoy it. So we did it again. And again. And again. We even did it in a dressing room. I felt so dirty and awful afterwards, though. I really wished we hadn't, but there was no changing the past. The least I could do was buy the clothing I was pretending to try on.

I had forgotten how much it had hurt that first time. I remembered pretty quickly considering it hurt every time. Not for the whole time, mind you, but it always hurt at first. It made me nervous, but I didn't know who to ask about it, so I kept it all to myself.

But it wasn't so bad. At least, it wasn't bad then, aside from the pain, that is. I had convinced myself nothing was wrong and that I was having so much fun. In some sense, I was, but maybe not in the sense that I should have been. But that's not important. What's important was the night before I was going to be moving. I had wanted-- had expected-- to be spending some alone time with my guy. Maybe watch a movie and eat some popcorn, cuddle on the couch... But he had other plans. He and his friends intended to pull some elaborate prank at his friend's work. I went with them at first, but when it looked like it wasn't going to happen, we went home. He played a game while I watched some television, but it wasn't long before he got the call. They were back on. He asked if I wanted to come along, but I decided I was too tired, so I said no. I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, he was back, panting and sweaty, but with a grin on his face. They had succeeded.

Of course, with his adrenaline and his mood up, he wanted something from me. First there was some kissing, which led to making out, which, very shortly, led to some painful sex. I was still convincing myself that it was something amazing and that I was enjoying every minute of it, of course. After re-dressing, we fell asleep. In a few short hours, I was moving into my new apartment at Haskel and everything was going swimmingly. I was on top of the world and was so sure nothing could bring me down.

Sunitha - Trouble

**Trigger Warning: this post contains some extreme violence**

Despite his being half dead, Sunitha had enjoyed seeing Quinn again. He wasn't nearly was gruff or rude as he had been during their first meeting. It was kind of nice. No, it was very nice. That wasn't all, though. He had kissed her. Kissed her. And he'd meant it. It had been a wild ride, that past twelve hours or so. Quinn has swept back into her life like a hurricane, had told her so much about the trouble he was in, and he had kissed her, which she was still honestly having trouble getting over. Every time she thought about his lips against hers, she couldn't help but smile, her heart pounding happily in her chest.

Only a few minutes ago, Sunitha had been transferring every credit she had left to her name over to Quinn in hopes that it would help. He had promised to pay her back, but hadn't given her the time to retaliate. She didn't want him to pay her back. It had been a gift. Besides, as soon as she went to work for Rory, she would be perfectly financially stable-- for the most part, anyways. Already, she had told Quinn not to worry about paying her back, and yet, he had still promised to do so. She was broke now, though. It would only last a short while, though. Within a few days, she would be moving and Rory had promised her a much more stable life. It was a nice thought, and she was more than grateful for the opportunity. She would have to remember to call and check in with him soon.

Sunitha was sitting on her blood-soaked couch, looking down at her old iX, not really seeing it. Her fingertips were touched lightly to her cheek, where Quinn had kissed her before walking out her door. He had actually managed to convince her that everything would be just fine. He would come back after the two weeks were up and he wouldn't be dead. For a time, Sunitha sat there, a smile on her face.

..................................................................................

Had it been five days? Or six? Sunitha hadn't really been counting the nights she spent alone, but she knew it had been a while since she had last seen Quinn. However long it had been, she was really feeling it. There was a longing in her heart that she couldn't quell. Truth be told, she was a bit worried about him. She couldn't quite place a finger on why-- it was just a gut feeling she had. For the most part, she ignored it, pushed the worries aside to focus on everything else.

She was moving.

Today was the day. What little she had was all packed up into a few boxes. The furniture that she had managed to get would be left behind-- it wasn't all that great, and besides, it was stained with blood. Quinn's blood. It would be the second time she was moving within the year. It felt strange to her. When she had come to Cometra, a martyr hated by most everyone for her views on the aliens, she had never really expected to even move out of the slums. Now she was moving into her own little home. And it would be a home-- not just an unstable shelter where she hid from hateful words and attackers. Rory had given her much and more. She would never truly be able to repay his kindness.

Just an hour earlier, he had stopped by to check on her. She had greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Rory had taken two of the boxes with him when he'd left, leaving Sunitha with just the one to tote. It was her box of sentimental items-- the things she had saved from earth (which wasn't much) and the few important things she had gathered during her time in the slums. Some oddly-shaped items kept the box from being able to close entirely, but Sunitha was certain she would be able to manage it no problem.

Stepping out the door, Sunitha was prepared to never look back at the little apartment like house she'd been living in for the past few months. Setting the box down carefully on the ground, she attached a note to the outside of the door with her new address-- just in case anyone should come looking for her. Once that was done, she picked up the box and turned to continue. With the box in her face, though, she stumbled on the step that led down from the door. With a soft squeak, she caught herself, but her grip on the box began to fail. On the other side of the box, Sunitha felt it steady. She was so sure it was Rory, come to make sure she was safe and could find her way to her new home. "Oh, thank you!" When she lifted her brown eyes to the face of her savior, however, it wasn't anyone she recognized.

The man standing there, holding her box of sentimental items, was big and frightening. His face was just about emotionless, making him look almost robotic. "Um... Th-thank you, Sir. How can I...how can I repay your kindness?" She offered a delicate and warm smile as she looked up at the man towering over her. Without a word, he grabbed Sunitha as if she were a ragdoll, throwing her over his shoulder. The box hit the sidewalk with a crunch, its contents spilling out as the only sign of struggle.

Sunitha wriggled in the man's grasp for only a short time before she realized it was a fruitless effort. Finally, she gave up. There was nothing else she could do.

..................................................................................

Sunitha stood before a woman with a dark look in her eye. Wherever she was, the place was expensive. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she glanced around the pristine room. Finally, her eyes made it back to the woman lounging in front of her. As Sunitha gawked, the woman's lips curled into a devious smile. "Hello, Dear." The woman's voice was sickly sweet. There was something about it that made Sunitha feel sick and frightened. "You're probably wondering where you are and why I've had you brought here." Sunitha nodded slowly, afraid to speak. "You see, a certain...Mr. Quinn Dwyer owes me some money. A great deal of money. Which he has neglected to get to me for a long, long while. And well," The curl of the woman's lips deepened into a sadistic smile. "You're collateral."

Sunitha's breath caught in her chest, her eyes widened. She wanted to protest, to do something, but fear rooted her to the ground. All she managed was a tiny squeak before the gigantic man who had taken her in the first place hit her in the back of the head and everything went black.

..................................................................................

The room was dark save for the glow of what appeared to be a brand in the hand of the monstrous man. It was moving towards her.

Sunitha's screams ripped from her lungs, echoing around the sound-proofed room.

..................................................................................

When she woke, she was in pain. So much pain. Sunitha couldn't recall having ever been in so much pain before in her life. Every time she moved, it was like her body was on fire. Red flashed before her eyes before dissolving into dots of pain. Her breathing was harsh and ragged. Tears fells from her eyes over her cheeks, cutting paths through the grime that had accumulated there. 

Sunitha had no idea how long they had been torturing her, but it felt like it had already been a lifetime. Blood has dried on her back, her arms, her face...everywhere. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for something, anything, that might be of use. Nothing. These people-- whoever they were-- were not new to this game. That frightened her even more. 

Just as her breathing seemed to settle into a normal pattern, the door opened. The woman with the sinister smile waltzed into the room, that same sadistic smile playing on her lips. Something flashed in her hand and Sunitha's heart pounded harder and harder, her breathing growing ragged once more. 

..................................................................................

There was so much pain that Sunitha could hardly feel anything anymore. Her body was battered and broken and scarred. She felt dead-- knew this had to be the end. She would never get out of here. The door opened, spilling light into the dark and bloodied room. Sunitha didn't fight it anymore. She stayed still as a corpse, waiting for the torture that she knew was coming. Instead, she was lifted off the ground by the monster of a man who had kidnapped her in the first place. The movement made her whole body flare to life, shooting pain everywhere making her cry out.

The man brought her to the room she had first met the sinister woman in. This time, it was a bit different. There were body guards standing around the figure of another person. The monster of a man flopped Sunitha down onto the floor without care. She winced and cried out from the pain once more, before cautiously lifting her head to glance at the other person who had been recently bloodied. When her eyes landed on him, they widened with terror and worry. It was Quinn.

A Love Story: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Love is a strong word, and I'm not really sure most of us know what we're talking about when we use it. Plenty of people, myself included, think they know what real love is. Now, I'm not talking about love like when a parent loves a child or when you absolutely love that restaurant down the road-- no. I mean the thing that everyone seems to want so badly. Love. Between two people-- man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, or whathaveyou, it doesn't matter to me who you love. Well, anyways, the bottom line is, I thought I was in love. Maybe I was, but a lot of stuff happened and things changed and then I just wasn't in love. Maybe I came to some dawning realization that I wasn't in love and never had been, or maybe it was that I really had been in love, but I had fallen out of love unexpectedly. Who can tell for sure? Doesn't matter. This is a love story-- or something along those lines. I guess I'll start at the beginning-- can't think of a better place for a proper story to start.

* * * * *

High school had been a long, rough journey. I started out as one of those kids that got picked on, and it was awful. Bullying really sucks, but that's a topic for another time. Right, so, anyways, high school had sucked big time. But I was done with it all. I had graduated and I was moving on to bigger and better things. College. I hadn't gotten into my dream school, but Haskel University was a good school, and they had offered me scholarships, so I was going to go there. I lived in a quiet little town growing up, and Haskel was smack dab in the middle of the city. It was an adventure I was more than ready to embark on.

Driving down to Haskel took forever. Ten hours in a car with your mother? Man... Actually, I would probably do it again-- I love my mom. Right, back to Haskel. Anyways, it was buzzing with activity when we got there. I was going to be living in a freshman dorm, I would have a roommate I had never met. For someone from a quiet little podunk town, this was possibly the most exciting thing to have ever happened to me. Ever.

Move in went smoothly for the most part. Met my roommate (who has the same name as me-- what are the odds?!) and unpacked and all that good stuff. Later that night, once everyone had moved into the building, our floor had a meeting. All the kids who had just moved in were all in one room. The RA's led the meeting, and, oh God, was it cheesy. We all had to introduce ourselves and stuff like that. I hated it. Oh, but my RA shared a name with me and my roomie-- thought that was kinda funny. Anyway, the most important part of the floor meeting was him. Sitting across the circle was this one guy. He practically exuded confidence, and that was part of what made him so damn attractive. I couldn't stop staring-- until I realized I was staring and stopped. (Later, I would find out that he hated me upon first sight and had sworn he would never get with me, but we'll get to that).

Being the shy kid I was, I didn't talk to him at all, really. Actually, I didn't talk to him at all for the first semester. I watched him, though-- and now that I'm saying that, it sounds kind of creepy. It wasn't creepy like that, I swear. I just mean that, like, I would watch him when he walked past my door or would slow down for a second when I passed his. But talk to him? Ha. No. That was outside my comfort zone. Kind of. It was finals week of the first semester-- we were all swamped with projects and exams and the like, but we could feel the end drawing closer and closer. I have no clue whose idea it was, but someone in his group of friends decided to make a cake for a particularly awful professor. One of our mutual friends decided I was going to be a part of it, so I was dragged down to the kitchen in the common area.

The group must have been at least seven people-- maybe even ten or twelve. Anyways, we all crammed into the little dorm kitchen and made a cake. It was pretty...butchered by the end, but we had fun. That was the first night I really talked to him, got to know him, hang out with him. It was great.

When we got back from winter break, we were basically friends. No one knew that I had a thing for him-- not yet. Some time went by, we had a class together and made some jokes and blah blah blah bonding. You know how it goes. It was either late winter or early spring when he and one of our mutual friends (not the one who dragged me to the cake thing in the first place) started dating. I was crushed, but I hid it well. Well, long story short, they broke up after a fairly short time together. After that, I got close to him. Really close. I had had a really bad day and he was there, comforting me and all that stuff that really good friends and partners do. We spent a lot of time together after that. A LOT of time. He was teaching me how to give a "proper" back massage and I watched him raid in World of Warcraft. We would talk and hang out. Our friends were all friends, so it was easy to all hang out together.

Eventually, when things felt like they were kind of starting to get "real," I talked to my friend-- the one he had dated-- and explained all about my feelings and all that. Basically, I was asking if it was it was okay if I started dating him (if it came to that). I got a yes and a good luck.

One of my other friends-- one of his friends as well-- told me one night that he was an asshole, but if I wanted to still date him, I should. I never thought of him as an asshole, so I just ignored it and continued on my happy path.

Lo and behold, we started dating about a week before the end of the semester. It was mid-week when we went on our first date-- or what we would consider our first date later. It must have been about two or three in the morning. Maybe even later. Anyways, there was a construction site right next to the dorm-- a new dorm building. It was maybe half done at that point or something like that. Whatever the case, he had been venturing up to the roof of this building (it was twenty stories high) with friends for the better part of the past month. He had promised me a trip up there, but had failed to invite me anytime he'd brought people up since my expressing interest. So this night, he called me and told me we were going up. I dressed in whatever dark clothing I could find-- black pants, black sneakers, black tee under a black hoodie-- and went out to greet him. We walked around the block talking for a bit-- had to make sure the coast was clear and all that fancy stuff. Once he was sure, we moved between the buildings to where the fence didn't quite come together.

He helped me through the fence and there we were, standing at the foot of the building. I could feel my heart racing in my chest. This was one of the most exciting things I had ever done in my entire life. We quietly made our way through the door and into the stairwell. I don't remember much of the climb up, but at one point we cut across the building to the other side where there was another stairwell. I don't know how I managed to make it up twenty flights of stairs, but I did. Maybe it was the excitement. Anyways, we get to the top and it's sort of drizzling-- romantic, right? We look out at the skyline and he shows me all the cool places up there. I think he was trying to show off, but he climbed up on top of this thing that was up there. It was a maintenance closet or something-- maybe for the elevators? I have no idea, honestly. Anyways, he was afraid of heights and got stuck up there for a bit. It was kind of funny from where I was. But that's not the important part. He got down eventually and we stood at the landing of of metal steps that seemed to lead nowhere, really. Now, this is where it gets really good. I can't even remember the words he said-- I was completely swept off my feet. That was where we kissed for the first time. There, on the roof of an unfinished building, in the spring rain, looking out at the city skyline. How could it be anything other than perfect?

That was how it started. From that point, we were dating. Things could only get better from there...right?

Untitled Horror Bit

It was just one in the morning-- not really that late, but Maia was already asleep. Rain splattered against the window as the wind took control of it. Aside from Maia's gentle breathing and the rain, though, it was silent. It was almost as though the entire world around Maia had stopped for the moment.

Stirring, Maia woke up. Sitting up in her bed-- which was really just a mattress on the floor of the room-- she looked around, trying to find what had woken her up. With sleep-blurred eyes, she looked at her phone. No messages, no new emails, nothing. Confused, she got up and opened her door. Nothing seemed amiss in the hallway. Maia shrugged it off and crawled back under the blankets where it was warm.

Deciding it was nothing more than a strange hitch in her sleep cycle, Maia settled back into bed, ready to sleep once more. Ahead of Maia, at the foot of the bed, was the closet, each door a full length mirror. Maia always kept the doors pushed to one side so she didn't have to look in the mirror when she woke up. When she'd been a girl, she had been afraid of mirrors, but she was an adult now, twenty-five years old. As an adult, it was silly for her to feel so afraid of a harmless looking glass. But just then, in the black of the room, at a time that was hardly that late at all, Maia was afraid. There was something wrong. It felt like something was watching her. 

Her eyes kept returning to gaze at the mirror. For a second, she thought for sure she had seen something-- someone?-- in the mirror, looking back at her. It was as though whomever it was had been peering around the edge of the mirror, from nowhere. Maia tumbled from the mattress as she hurried to flip on the light. The room was washed in white as soon as she hit the switch. Looking back at the mirror, Maia saw nothing. Not even something that might have been mistaken for a face peering out at her. Nothing.

With the light left on, Maia fell into a restless sleep. As she lay there, dreaming of terrors, the face showed itself in the mirror again, it's sunken and hollow eyes staring at the sleeping woman.

Salvage - Full Story v01

Notes - Player character is referred to as Dunham throughout the story.

Part 1: Hey, Asshole

    Dunham could see the ship. It was much larger than he had expected-- at least twice the size. It was the biggest freighter he’d ever laid eyes on. Not to mention it looked almost untouched. As the massive ship loomed closer and closer, Dunham could only think about how well this salvage would pay. He could feel it in his gut-- this ship would make him rich, would save his skin, really. Contract work had been sparse recently, but this job...this would be the best thing to happen to him in months, maybe even years. So without hesitation-- or caution-- Dunham docked his ship with the massive, derelict freighter.

    Once inside, Dunham is surrounded by darkness. The near pitch black made it eerie and difficult to navigate through the Docking Bay. Somehow, though, Dunham managed to find his way to Engineering. He figured there had to be a way to restore the power from there-- he just had to find it. He stumbled over something, tripping and hitting the wall. Fumbling around in the dark, Dunham pulled a switch. Nothing. He let out an exasperated sigh. With his hands on the cold metal of the wall, he slid carefully through Engineering until he found another switch. When he pulled the second switch, there was a loud clanging sound before the ship started to rumble and shake. The next thing he knew, the lights were flickering on. The panel on the wall read Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator-- it was the ship’s emergency power source. As the ship flickered to life, a computerized voice came through the Emergency Announcement System warning of a critical failure.

    “All docked vessels and escape pods will be jettisoned in 10...9...8...”

    Dunham felt a twinge of fear race through his body, coursing through his veins. His ship. He rushed back to the docking bay, cotton in his mouth. He was so close, though. He was almost there, almost through the door… Slam! The door to his ship closed right in front of his face. He was trapped here. This broken down piece of crap would be his grave. How was he supposed to know that the ship would jettison his only way home, that this freighter would trap him here? Dunham looked around, wondering what he should do with himself for the rest of his short life. He could have turned the RTG off, but there was no point now-- unless he wanted to end his life in complete darkness. His gaze was drawn to the window on the doors through which he could see his ship floating away.

    Just as he was ready to sit down and die like a man, the alarms cut out. Silence settled in. Dunham never would have guessed the end would come like this. The silence was closer to nightmarish, rather than calming. He was just getting used to it when a voice came through the speakers.

    “Hey, You. The asshole in the Docking Bay. Y’know...I had turned those alarms off for a reason.”

It was a woman’s voice. Dunham could feel his heart pounding, but not with fear, not this time. This time, it was a flurry of excitement, it was survival. Whoever she was, she was what was going to save him.

Part 2: Exposition

    “We need to get off the ship. There is one emergency escape pod left. It’s on the bridge, where I am. I can get you here. Just do what I say and you’ll be fine. Trust me.”

    Something in the woman’s voice, in her words, made Dunham want to believe her and trust her. It wasn’t like he really had any other option, anyways. Well, he did, but it wasn’t a very good choice-- he could follow her directions and have a chance at survival or he could sit here and do nothing and die for sure. For a moment, though, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was some kind of trap. Maybe she was some crazy cannibal, luring unsuspecting salvagers to this massive ship just for her next meal. Dunham had to roll his eyes at himself then. That was possibly the stupidest idea that had ever run through his head.

    “There’s a maintenance elevator to your right. Do you see it? Get in.”

    To his right, the doors were opening on an elevator. The woman’s voice seemed to be echoing throughout the Docking Bay in a weird way. There was a second of hesitation in Dunham’s step before he pushed himself forward, his feet carrying him through the open doors of the elevator.

    As the doors closed behind him, the woman’s voice returned. It felt closer here, but Dunham was sure that was just because the room was so much smaller than the Docking Bay. “It was hit by an asteroid. Lord knows where it came from… Everyone was able to escape-- well, at least, that’s what it looks like. You’re probably wondering why I’m still here, though, huh?”

    It seemed like she was about to divulge a major secret-- why she was still on this broken down piece of junk-- but the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Dunham stepped out cautiously, possibly more so than was really necessary, but it was almost making up for the complete lack of caution he had shown earlier when he’d lost his ship. At least the lights were on this time...thanks to his stupidity. Looking around, Dunham could see that he was in the main Cargo Hold. It looked like the Holding Dock or something along those lines-- where all the cargo went before it was sorted into the proper containers. There were a good number of crates sitting around. A few of them had labels marking them as dangerous materials and the like. He would have to make sure to stay away from those ones. Most of the crates, though, seemed to be relatively safe-- just basic crates.

    “There should be a door with a green light over it. Get to that one. The other ones...well, let’s just say that you probably don’t want to go through any of them unless you have an immediate death wish.”

    Without question, Dunham navigated his way through the Cargo Holding Dock. He found himself jumping over and climbing up a great number of crates to get to the door that was-- for some reason-- closer to the ceiling than the floor. Dunham figured that there had been a catwalk of some type or other at one point. Overall, the trek to the door was fairly easy. Maybe he was breathing a little heavier than normal, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Letting out a deep breath, Dunham pushed through the door with the green light over it.

Part 3: A Long Way To Go

    Once through the door, Dunham found himself staring at a huge map-like display. It was a tiny room with nothing but the display and a panel of controls-- it certainly wasn’t the bridge. Dunham had nothing to look at but the display that wrapped around most of the room. When he turned around, he found himself looking out a window into the Cargo Holding Dock that he had just come from. His gaze moved back to the display. Upon closer inspection, Dunham could see that the display was, in fact, a map. A map of the ship. Every transit route from the Cargo Holding Dock to basically anywhere else on the ship was shown.

    It wasn’t until he was able to see the display-- this massive display of a map-- that Dunham had really understood just how big the ship was. It was massive. He was certain that had it been converted into a ship that could actually sustain life throughout the ship, it could house the entire population of Harmós-- the largest non-Earth colony in all the systems. Dunham wasn’t even sure how many people that was, but he was certain that it was over one million.

    Studying the map in front of him, Dunham looked for the path that would lead him to the bridge, to the woman whose voice he’d been following. There were so many paths, so many of them overlapping and intertwining, though, that he found himself getting a headache. Then it started to flicker. The fear that the RTG was failing stuck in his chest.

    “Press that big blue button.” There was a layer of static over the woman’s voice, but God, was he glad to hear her at all. Letting out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding in, Dunham pressed the big blue button. Luckily, it was the only blue button on the panel. The flickering stopped as a single path was highlighted on the map.

    “That’s the one you want. It’s the only path from where you are to the bridge that isn’t, well, completely destroyed.” Her comment almost worried him, but there was something in the way she said it that made it feel unimportant. Dunham stared at the path, studying it. It looked like it would be easy enough. Besides, it didn’t even look like it would be that long of a journey. Holding up his left arm as though he were looking at a watch, Dunham scanned the map with his Pan-ix device, essentially downloading the map.

Part 4: Baby Steps

    Aside from the door he had come in through, there was only one door leading from the Cargo Control Room. Since going back didn’t seem like a necessarily smart option, Dunham went through the other door. The door had a very different look to it-- bare metal rather than the almost decorated look some of the other doors he’d seen had had.

    Going through the door led Dunham into a maintenance shaft. There was a strange wind gusting through the space, giving it a hollow sound. Dunham hadn’t expected it to be so huge-- then again, he should have expected it considering how massive the ship itself was. It seemed like there were a million different paths he could take through here. Just thinking about it, he got himself all turned around and confused. Stopping to take a deep breath, he held up his left arm and opened the map he had downloaded using his Pan-ix device. Panic was setting in, making it difficult to read the map.

    “It’s the last door. The one with the blinking green light over it.” The woman’s voice was like a godsend. If it hadn’t been for her, Dunham was sure he would have died right here, in this maintenance shaft, lost in the labyrinth of metal. Her voice was just as clear here as it had been in the other parts of the ship. Glad for the direction from his savior, he moved down the corridor, jumping over gaps in the catwalk as needed. Before long, he had come to the correct door-- just to be sure, though, he glanced around to see if any other door had a blinking green light over it.

    Certain it was right, Dunham pushed his way through the door. The next room wasn’t new-- it was Engineering, where he had turned on the power not too long ago. Now, though, he was up on a maintenance catwalk, able to look down on the room below. Unless he wanted to go back to where he started, there was only one way out-- a door on the other side of the room, on the same level as the catwalk he was currently on. He made his way over, avoiding the gaps in the metal walkway has he had done on his way through the corridor earlier.

    Finally, though, he got to the door only to find that it was busted. Completely borked. There was no way anything was going to be getting through that door.

    “Hmm...well...alright. Hang on.” The woman’s voice lingered in the air as the sound of her using the computer came through the system. The beeps and boops were subtle, overpowered in most cases by the clicking of keys being pressed. “There should be...a ventilation shaft...above you. See it?” Her voice was different-- distant, almost-- maybe it was due to her being distracted by using the computer, trying to find a new route.

    Dunham glanced upwards, though, as the woman had suggested. There, above his head, he could see the opening of a ventilation shaft. The cover was missing.

    “Hang on. I’ve got it.” She sounded strangely confident. Not that Dunham even really knew what she’d meant by it. As the thought wandered across his mind, a grating sound screeched above his head. Not too long after, there was a loud crash and a crate fell from seemingly nowhere. The crate landed right in front of him, allowing him to climb up. It gave him just the boost he needed to be able to reach the ventilation shaft.

    Crawling through the ventilation shaft wasn’t half bad. Compared to all the jumping around he’d been doing, it was easy as pie, actually. Dunham thought, just for a second, that maybe he could crawl all the way to the bridge. That wouldn’t have been half bad. Just as the thought was crossing his mind, the panel of the ventilation shaft he was crawling over gave way beneath him. Next thing he knew, we was falling.

    Dunham landed with a thud. Looking around, he figured he could only be in one place-- one of the specialized cargo containers.

    “Well. That was...unexpected.” There were some more clicking sounds as the woman utilized her computer on the other end of the Emergency Announcement System. “You’re in the refrigerated cargo container. You need to get out of there before you freeze.” Another pause in her words as she hit a few more buttons. “Oh, nice going, by the way.” He could almost hear her rolling her eyes at him. “Genius.” Her mocking was endearing in a way, and Dunham was half-thankful for it. It was better than being trapped on this ship alone, after all.

    It looked like half of the cargo in the refrigerated container was thawing. Dunham wondered what kind of things were kept in the frozen crates and prayed to God that it wasn’t anything dangerous. Lost in thought of crates, Dunham surprised himself when he tripped on something. It sounded metal as it scraped along the metal walkway he had fallen onto. Looking down, he saw it was a panel from the ventilation shaft. he wondered how the panel he’d broken had fallen so far from where he had broken through. It didn’t really matter, though. Dunham ignored it and kept going.

    Another step forward, and another. There was a creaking sound coming from the walkway. Dunham looked at his feet, then the door. It was still a ways away. He wondered if he would be able to make it there if he ran. As soon as he bolted, though, the walkway gave way, throwing Dunham down to the half-frozen floor below.

    “Oh geez… Alright. Hang on.” Her voice, despite its exasperated tone, was his only companion. Dunham wondered if she was getting tired of helping him through all of this, through all of his mistakes. Still, he was thankful for her voice, for the calming it provided.

    There was a grinding sound-- the sound of metal against metal-- coming from under his feet. Dunham thought for sure he was going to die-- that the floor of the container was going to give out, dropping him into space. Instead, the panels of the floor rose up into something resembling a staircase. More than a little astonished, Dunham quickly climbed up to the top, glad that the woman hadn’t simply left him to die alone.

    “There should be a button nearby. Press that. The door should open.” Dunham did as she bid him and pressed the button. Not too far away, a door opened. It was almost welcoming. Dunham hurried through the door, exiting the half-frozen container.

Part 5: Oops…

    “Looks like the path ahead is blocked. You’ll have to take a...uh...detour.” The sounds of keys clacking came through the Emergency Broadcast System as the woman on the other end looked at what Dunham could only assume was a map for an alternative route. There was a loud beep followed by the woman’s muttering. “Alright...jump down here.”

    A pause.

    “Go through that...door on the right…” With each word, the woman’s voice seemed to get more distant, as though she were more focused on the map in front of her than the person she was talking to.

    “And you’ll go…right...through…”

    Another pause, longer this time.

    “Oh...the uhhh…” There was a new inflection in her words now. Was it nervousness? Fear? Dunham couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. “Uhh...the hazardous...materials….container...”

    Dunham could feel his heart buck in his chest. That sounded more than a little dangerous. Maybe he should have given a second thought to trusting her as long as he had already. Already, though, he had come to the edge of a vile green lake. It was...bubbling, eating away at the metal around it. Dunham wanted to go back, maybe there was another way around-- but he couldn’t go back. He’d jumped down, and there was  no way to get back up to where he’d been.

    “Oops…”

    A static silence crept into the air as Dunham waited for some kind of direction from the woman. His eyes couldn’t help but survey the scene before him-- the toxic lake of hazardous materials. He looked for a way across the toxic waste that would surely kill him if he touched it. For the first time since he began following her directions, Dunham began to worry, began to doubt that should could actually help him out of here. The silence stretched on, growing more and more unsettling.

    “Alright.” Her voice was the most welcome sound Dunham could remember hearing in his life. “There should be a console in the middle of the room. Just get to it, and...everything will be...fine.” Despite the doubt that laced her words, Dunham trusted her. A breath that he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding slipped out as he looked around the room, searching for a sign of the console, praying the materials hadn’t destroyed it. When he didn’t see it at first, he started to worry again. Maybe it wasn’t there anymore...maybe he would die in here, choking on acid.

    Then he saw it. There it was, bright and gleaming and beautiful. It was his salvation. It was in the middle of the toxic lake. Somehow, though, Dunham managed to make his way to the console. There was one button in the middle that almost seemed to be screaming Push me. Dunham was reaching for it when the woman’s voice broke through the air yet again. “Push the button. The big one.” His fingers had already been on the button. With the woman’s confirmation, he pressed it. The anticipation was killing him-- he expected something amazing to happen now that he’d pressed the button. From above, there was the sound of metal grating against metal, but nothing else happened. Dunham could feel a frown developing on his face.

    “Okay...hang on…” The woman’s voice sounded exasperated by now, the clicking of the whatever keys she was using on the other end of the Emergency Announcement System sounding more violent than it had before. The next thing Dunham knew, something that looked like the catwalk fell down, crashing in front of him. It made a perfect bridge for the unjumpable gap that would bring Dunham to the exit on the other side of the room. It wasn’t long before Dunham was able to make his way to the exit.

    Safe, he was safe. He’d made it out of the container. Without the help of the woman, though, he was certain he never would have made it. Before him was an elevator, doors open, waiting for him. With no other option, Dunham stepped into the elevator, placing all his faith in the woman he assumed had opened the elevator for him.

    When the elevator doors open, Dunham finds himself on the Crew Deck. Staggering out of the elevator, Dunham stares at the space around him, mouth hanging open, aghast.

Part 6: Space

    Dunham was having trouble not staring at it-- the gaping hole in the ship, that is. Eyes wide, he just stood there.

    “So...yea. I mentioned the whole...asteroid...thing...right?” There was something in her voice that told Dunham she was trying to say something he wouldn’t like. He tried to prepare himself for whatever it was she had to say. It couldn’t be too bad-- he’d just gotten through a room full of hazardous materials that could have easily killed him. How much worse could it honestly get? Dunham was certain that he was ready for just about anything.

    “You’ve got to get across the gap.” Except that. Dunham’s breath caught in his throat. How in the world was he supposed to get across that massive gap? Fear gripped at his throat, making it difficult to breath.

    He wanted to yell, wanted to scream. He wanted to tell the woman that he was done, and that he was content to die here on the ship and she should escape on her own. She wouldn’t be able to hear him, though. Still, he had options-- either he found a way across, as the woman had suggested, or he sit down and die here. After all the hard work he’d put into surviving, the first option seemed to get better and better.

    The sound of the woman using the computer was coming through the Emergency Announcement System. Dunham knew she was doing everything she could to help him. “Tune your Pan-ix radio to frequency 303.0427-- that’s the Emergency Announcement System.” A pause as she waited. “Alright. I hope you’ve got it…” He could hear her in his ear now-- it was strangely comforting to have her voice feel so close. “I’m going to launch you across the gap.” If he could have protested, Dunham would have. “It should give you the momentum you’ll need to reach  the other side.” It was funny-- she almost sounded confident. Maybe, if the situation hadn’t been so deadly, Dunham would have actually laughed.

    There was nothing else he could do. On his own, he wouldn’t be able to reach the other side, and he had already decided trying was better than sitting here and dying, so he had to trust her.

    “There’s a panel on the floor that looks a bit loose-- it’s next to a huge steam pipe. Stand on that panel.” Dunham did as she requested. A deep breath, he tried to calm himself, tried to stop his heart from hammering in his chest. “Alright. Ready?” He was as ready as he’d ever be-- not that he could actually tell the woman that. “Don’t worry. This won’t kill you.” There was a sound coming from the steam pipe. Dunham was half tempted to look back, but if he did, he might lose his target and get lost in space. On the radio, though, was static-- for the moment. “Probably…”

    The next thing he knew, he was launched by the steam pipe and the loose floor panel, hurtling through the massive gap of space where the bulk of the crew desk used to be. His heart was pounding harder than it ever had before. In his ear, though, was the woman’s voice.

    “ It’ll be fine. So when I was twenty-three, I was about to graduate from the Coalition Academy. I was going to be a part of the Coalition-- it was a dream come true. I had decided that I would work up until I was able to be a navigation officer. Neat, huh? Anyways…” As he floated farther out, the sound of the woman’s voice grew more and more static until, finally, Dunham could no longer make out the words she was saying.

    She was gone. His anchor was gone.

    Dunham felt strange-- disconnected and lost. Fear gnawed at him, trying to get under his skin, to make him lose control. He was certain that he was slowing down now. He wasn’t going to make it across. This was the end.

    “--cheeseburgers! We didn’t even know they still existed. I guess it was one of the perks of being a female Coalition officer.” Her laughter floated in his ears then. It was almost an otherworldly sound. Dunham had never been so thankful for the sound of another person’s voice before. It seemed as though she hadn’t realized that the radio had cut out-- that she’d just continued her story while he had floated lost and alone through the silence of space.

    The woman’s laughter died down just as the other side of the gap got close enough to touch. Dunham reached out and grasped at the broken piping, pulling himself to the safety of the ruined ship. “See?” The sound of her voice had an almost smug quality to it as she spoke. “I told you that you wouldn’t die.”

Part 7: Normal

    Slowly, Dunham’s breathing returned to normal. The amount of joy he felt at being back on solid ground and not lost and floating in space wasn’t comparable to the joys of everyday life. It was a joy a person could only understand if they had survived the impossible, if they had avoided death one way or another. Despite the bleak surroundings, he was happy to see them again, to be apart of the abandoned freighter. No longer in need of the radio on his Pan-ix, Dunham turned off the functionality.

    “Up ahead the door’s busted. You’ll have to climb through the ventilation shaft.” The woman’s voice was coming through the Emergency Announcement System on the ship, but it was slightly distorted from the proximity to the hole-- it was screwing with the system. Despite the distortion, though, the sound of her voice was welcome-- more than welcome.

    Dunham realized then that he had missed her-- actually missed her-- when he’d been floating through the silence of the gap. He wondered for a moment if he could actually miss someone he’d never even seen before or if he had just missed the idea of another person’s voice.

    Pushing the thoughts away, Dunham focused on moving forward. He was close to the bridge now, he could feel it. He had come to the part of the ship where the crew had stayed-- there was no way it couldn’t be close to the bridge. Climbing into the vent, he felt a renewed vigor driving him forward.

    “Turn to the right...and drop down at the end of that branch.” Everything was going so well. From here on out, it would be easy as pie. “Y’know the first thing I’m doing when we get off this piece of shit? I’m going to get a fraxxin’ strawberry. A real one. Not one of the fake lab-grown things they call strawberries.” Dunham felt like they were growing closer. How that could be without him ever having spoken a single word to her was beyond him, yet he still felt that way. Maybe it wasn’t reciprocated. Maybe he was crazy. Whatever the case, Dunham could hardly wait to meet her face-to-face.

    Dropping out of the ventilation shaft, Dunham found himself in the Life Support Chamber. It was half destroyed from the asteroid hitting the ship. One of the panels on the wall was sparking in a way that told anyone looking at it that it was faulty. He passed a dented oxygenizer and a flickering environment stabilizer display. The room was littered with scraps of metal that used to be apart of the walls and ceiling of the chamber. Dunham managed to pick his way through the wreck of the room.

    As he moved through the room, he realized he was beginning to be able to feel the cold through his suit. If he didn’t get to the bridge soon, he would likely freeze to death. The thought of freezing made Dunham move a little faster. He hoped that the woman who’d been helping him was at least a little warmer than he was.

    On the other side of the room, Dunham ran right into a half-jarred door-- the panel was sparking to the right. “Oh. That’s easy-- I’ve got that.” Click click click. Click click. Click click click click. The door spasmed before Dunham’s eyes. “Push on it-- it’ll open.” Dunham moved forward just as a massive spark leapt towards his body, causing him to jump backwards. “I think.” One more try. Dunham leaned his shoulder against the door and pushed on it, forcing it back into the door panel, forcing it open enough for him to slip through.

    Behind him, the door slams shut, blocking off the path back. Dunham doesn’t care, though. He’s so close to meeting the woman now-- so close.

    Before him waits the Mess Hall. Abandoned.

    The empty room was more than a little eerie. It looked as though the people had simply vanished rather than escaped. It was unsettling to look at and even more unsettling to walk through. A shiver slipped down his spine, reminding him of how uncomfortable he was in this forsaken and vacant room. He couldn’t get through it soon enough.

    “The elevator-- straight ahead-- will bring you to the bridge.” He wanted to run forward, but it felt like his feet were glued to the spot. Eyes wide, Dunham stared at the elevator as it opened. It seemed so far away, somehow, despite how close it was.

    Everything seemed to click then, and Dunham was running. He basically flew across the room and right into the elevator that was waiting for him.

Part 8: False Assumptions

    Standing still was hardly an option. Dunham found himself pacing back and forth, back and forth in the tiny space the elevator provided him. This was the longest fraxxing elevator ride he had ever experienced. Well, it felt like it, at least.

    Excitement pulsed through his body. Within mere seconds, he would be face-to-face with the woman responsible for saving his life and getting him off this ship. He could still hear the echo of her voice in his head-- the sarcastic remarks and the lovely intonations. He could only imagine what she might look like. As he paced, thinking of her voice, it came through the speaker in the elevator.

    “I almost thought you wouldn’t make it all the way here.” Her tinny voice made him smile. He was so eager to get off the elevator, so eager to see her face. “The name’s Kate, by the way.” Every part of him wanted to respond, but he knew she couldn’t hear him. Soon, though, he would be able to talk to her. Soon, he would be on the bridge with her.

    The wait was agony.

    The elevator stopped.

    The doors opened.

    No one was there.

Part 9: Alone

    A tiny squeal of excitement peals from the woman who was supposed to be on the bridge. As the sound pierces the air, Dunham staggers forward, nearly tumbling from the elevator into the obviously empty room.

    “We did it! You’re here! You’re alive!”

    It had to be some kind of joke. A sick, sick joke. There was no one here. The woman was not on the bridge waiting for him. It’s clear to see that no one had been on the bridge in a long while. Dunham could feel his stomach drop, his hope fade, and his heart break.

    “I never lost faith in you, Kate. I knew you’d be able to get me here. I owe you.” The voice was not the one he was used to-- it was not Kate’s, it belonged to a man.

    “Darn right, you do.” Dunham could have sworn he could hear the smile in her mechanical voice. It ripped through him, making him feel like he was going to vomit. His stomach was churning with the disappointment he felt.

    “Why don’t we get outta here, huh? I’d say we’ve both had enough adventure for one day.” Dunham walked in a stupor to the console where he could see the recording was playing. A recording. She hadn’t been here the whole time.

    “Oh Lord, yes. Say-- what was your name?” Reflex almost brought Dunham to respond. He had waited so long to see her, to meet her-- something that would never happen now.

    “Terrance Dwyer. Call me Terr.”

    “Nice to finally meet you, Terr. Let’s get out of here before we freeze to death.” As Kate’s recorded voice echoed off the walls, the faint sound of two sets of footsteps could be heard coming through the speakers. Tears sting at his eyes, threatening to overflow. Dunham does everything he can to fight them back. “I’m really glad I’m not stuck on that ship alone…” The sound of her last words was the last straw. The tears slide down Dunham’s face. Kate’s voice fades as the sound of the escape pod closing and launching comes through the speakers. A computerized voice comes through the speakers, “Emergency Announcement playback complete. Emergency Announcement playback repeat.”

    There was no doubt in Dunham’s mind.

    “Hey, You. The asshole in the Docking Bay. Y’know...I had turned those alarms off for a reason.” As Kate’s voice played through the speakers again, Dunham knew that this ship would be his grave.