Post by » ѕнαdσω ⚔️ on Aug 6, 2016 12:40:33 GMT -5
[ Enjoy!]
The Devil in Cupid’s Clothing
He loves.
He adores.
He supports.
He sings.
He protects.
He smiles.
He embraces.
He suggests.
He plays.
He touches.
He drives.
He lifts.
He laughs.
He: the memories of someone who loves you unconditionally.
He: the person who holds the other half of your soul in theirs.
He: a being who pierces your heart with Cupid’s arrow.
He lies.
He deceives.
He fakes.
He hurts.
He breaks.
He bruises.
He divides.
He chooses.
He kills.
He tempts.
He screams.
He cries.
He defiles.
He: the memories of someone who breaks you without mercy.
He: the person who changes the foundation of your soul.
He: a being who rips your heart out with the Devil’s pitchfork.
What are the value of relationships?
What makes them have so much of an impact, even when some of them only last brief moments?
It is one of the many things I struggle to understand. I can't express what a relationship is. I don't know how to describe it. Relationships have both empowered me and crippled me. How can something that seems to have such high value do two opposite things?
But that is what the world does. It poisons just as much as it cures.
It creates just as much as it destroys.
I hate the whole "balancing" thing. Why can't we have more good than bad? Why can't the scales be unbalanced?
A relationship begins with an introduction. It is a promise of a possible future. It is the hope of a new life. It can even be a temporary shield to hide behind while the world is trying to grind your bones into dust.
I don't know what his introduction was, but it wasn't any of those. He was introduced upon circumstance. He showed a certain something that I admired, so I let him in. Simple. No complex webs.
There is then an establishment. What kind of relationship is this to be?
At first, it was all fun and games. I quickly learned I could spend time with him without having to worry about being myself. We could be mischievous. We could be outcasts. We could simply be bored and talk.
An exchange is made. Information is key in a relationship. How honest do you want to be? How much are you willing to share? This also determines the kind of relationship you will have.
At first I was willing to share everything, even things I couldn't tell anyone else. He would offer to be a safe haven when I told him of the hurts and bruises, a way to escape from the harshness of this life. I refused every time, afraid of him seeing me in such a frail state. I continued to alert him, to talk to him, but tragedy struck in the form of an inner demon-an all consuming fiery creature that took away who I was and replaced me with, what some would call, a monster.
Could I control this monster? Who knew. I didn't realize it was there or recognize it's presence. I slowly became it. I didn't know.
I think a part of me did realize, but it was all thrown to the side once someone else came in between my relationship with him. I think a part of him realized I wasn't me during this time. He had become colder, more distant. Different. It was the perfect opportunity for someone to sneak in.
Depending on which story you allude to, this newcomer was either snake or angel. Deceiver or savior.
Either way it was a distraction from the relationship I wanted with him. Others could see the potential. There is a future there! He cares for you! You should speak up!
I did none of those things. I was a coward and a part of me still is today.
I went off with this newcomer while he and I drew further apart. Did I try to bring us back together? Sure, but it was a sad attempt, if it's considered an attempt at all. He too was off with newcomers, forgetting about the young friendship we had formed.
So innocent. What was innocent about it?
My inner flames continued to torment me, and I quickly realized this was nothing to ignore. I couldn't seek help though, in fear of hurting others around me. How could they believe the strong, independent warrior could be crippled by such fantasies?
There were a few nights I tried to tell him, but our friendship was barely hanging on. How could I dump this on him too? How would he see me once he knew the ugly truth, that I had been keeping this away from him for so long?
But he could not be fooled. Whether he found out through pure observation, or others informing him of my sudden illness, it does not matter. Once he knew, he fled and became a ghost.
Our exchange had failed.
All it took was one night of doubt. A few brief moments for our relationship to crumble.
That is what a relationship is worth: nothing. Only you can put worth into it, and only you can take worth out.
This is why they impact us so much, because we forget that only we have control over them. They don't have control over us, as much as story teller's will want you to believe otherwise.
- xXxXxXx -
- xXxXxXx -
The abyss calls as it waits. Impatiently. No, patiently. Wrestling with the light in the dark. Outliving the smoking gun in the grey twilight.
Its voice is a growl. No, it is smooth. It seeks out your desires hidden in the crevices of your psyche. Its arms pull you into a warm embrace while thick tendrils of shadow tie around your heart. It seeks to destroy you. No, it seeks to purify you. Your insides fade to black, while your skin lets off steam.
Green flames erupt from your pores as the abyss shoots out thorns. Piercing. No, touching. Just the briefest of indescribable pain until it becomes you. Your cursed eyes open anew. You see the world through bloomed irises, just as you see more of its secrets. More darkness. The veil between you and the abyss is lifted.
To stare into the abyss is to stare into the flames of your soul. To become lost-no-to become cursed, is to let the abyss gaze back into you.
- Last night, my cat Tigerlilly was hit by a car on the road next to our house. We raised her from kit-hood, and even watched her have kits of her own. She had a friend and companion in my other cat Roxy, and a loving family in us. I think we are all still in shock, but I can say that she died quickly, if not instantly. We buried her this morning next to her daughter, Millie, who died years ago from a lung tumor. Tigerlilly was almost 9 years old.
- I could rant all the day about the coldness and cruelty of humans, which is maybe why I have never had the heart to write about them. Someone left her in the middle of the road. They didn't bother to move her. They didn't bother to feel sorry for killing a living, breathing thing.
- Despite the fact that my Christmas was torn apart by it's roots, I can still remember her, and honor her by having her live on in the stories that I write, and in the things that I do. She has already appeared as a character in my Clans of the Valley series, and she will be written about again when the time comes.
- She was a huge inspiration for me, especially when it came to my stories. The way she moved and walked, the way she looked with her unique colors and markings, the way her eyes were like liquid and fiery amber at the same time. I watched her a lot while writing Curse. She provided the real, physical example I needed for the imagined characters in my book. She was fast, quick, and extremely agile, and she always seemed to walk on the tips of her toes with a swagger. x'3 She liked to squeeze herself into tiny spaces, even if it looked uncomfortable when she was pregnant. She was an incredible hunter. She tried multiple times to bring in birds, lizards, and a snake or two. I dare say she was as real to a true warrior cat that I have ever seen. She was an avid lover of bacon and cat nip, and her favorite toy was a green feather on a string attached to a soft stick. She liked to chase it around, and would claim it as her prize in a roll and a few bites to the base. We buried the toy with her, so that maybe she can take it with her in whatever place we go to when we return to the earth.
- Tigerlilly was very special, and she was there for me in my lowest times. She was a great cuddle companion, and had a way of cheering you up just by looking at you. She was playful, energetic, gentle, and an amazing friend. It will never be the same without her.
- So I want to remember her as she was, and I wanted to share her memory with all of you, because you all are my family, and thus her extended family. May Tigerlilly live on in our thoughts, and in the many stories written, and the many stories to come.
- Rest in peace now my friend. I will always think of you on Christmas eve, for that was the night you finally grew wings, and reunited with your family.
P.S. - I apologize for any grief I bring upon anyone on your Christmas, but...I can't just sit back and wait and pretend it didn't happen, and this is one of the best ways I know how to heal, and how to bring honor to the memory of my Tigerlilly. Regardless, I still hope you all have a better Christmas than I do. <3
Thank you, for taking the time to read. A comment or a note for Tigerlilly would be much appreciated.
Author's Notes: Hello again! Another entry for Tuesday's Challenges! I wish I could have had more time to explore this world, but with my crazy schedule and the time constraints, it was nearly impossible. I was lucky to get this in on time! o.o Anyways, this world known as The Forest of Kalmera, was something I created a few months back. Below you will find "definitions" for characters and other animals that you will not recognize. Feel free to ask me questions. If enough people are interested, I will be making this world my next "series" after I finish more of Clans of the Valley this year. (;
Wʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪɴ TFOK
The Kalmera Trees: Strange trees that dominate the landscape. They appear to be just weird looking birch/oak hybrids, but in fact they are meat-eating trees. They use their vines to ensnare and wrap around anything that gets too near or that hurts them in any way. The only ways to avoid being eaten is to bond with a tree (through careful negotiation or raising one yourself), or by joining the Order of the Ever Beast who give out special cloaks that make you invisible to predators.
Reaper Viper: A fabled snake that is rumored to send you're soul to the Underverse(an awful realm not just for "bad" beings) just by touching your skin with their own. Identified by it's grey and/or black glittering scales and reaper tail.
Fleeter Fairies: Strange fairies with the fur of a baby bird and the body of a bear. With no hind legs, the depend on their front paws and wings for transport. They usually cluster around Kalmera tree's that are occupied by bonded hosts. It is safer that way.
The Mythical Beasts: In the Forest of Kalmera, there are many odd and awe inspiring beasts that roam the area. One of the most elusive and most famous is the Ever Beast, fabled to be the actual soul of the forest, but some are skeptical that such a small delicate creature could hold so much power. Said to have crystal wings of white and an owl like form, only the order that protects it have ever really seen it. Another beast, The Wither Beast, is the apex predator of the forest. It lures in prey using it's hardened diamond tail that can bend the light and make you see what you want to see. As youngsters these guys are actually quite cute, but as the forest begins to wither them away, they become more territorial, angry, and hungry.
Tнe Cнαrαcтerѕ
Freida: Female Guardian Healer; Sloppy, semi-long spotted coat of a dull dusty brown color with large brown eyes just as dark as her pupils. Can’t distinguish between iris and pupil. Her ears are folded inside out at the top and curled backwards. Very long whiskers and tail.
Jarlan: Male Mercenary; Very dark smoky blueish grey coat with a long tail and a small extra pair of ears that look like horns. Long legged and shorter fur with bright amber eyes.
Tнe Sтory
Jarlan POV
I despise these trees.
So close together…suffocating the air with their ridiculous multi-colored flowers and creepy crawling vines that like to whip out and catch you off guard. So annoying.
Hissss…
I snort, glaring down at a Reaper Viper, named after the fact that its tail is in a permanent shape of a crescent and can actually be used to slash at flesh.
I hiss back as it spits at me, its midnight black and glittering grey scales rattling together. It must have come out of the thick vegetation after hearing my footsteps.
Even the beasts here are annoying…
I swipe at the snake, only touching it with my claws. I have heard rumors that the older snakes are able to send your soul to the dark void known as the Underverse just by grazing their flesh against yours.
Even more annoying…
I allow myself a chuckle as the eyes of the snake bulge out as I send it flying up high into the air. It collides with a branch of a tree, and instantly a vine shoots out and wraps itself around the body of the snake, pulling it in deeper into its tangle of roots.
A snack for the tree I suppose…everything here eats everything else…
The trees in the Forest of Kalemera are infamous for their meat eating habits. The high body count for this forest is most likely due to them.
They look strange, their pale trunks twisted and coiled like a shell, their roots extending outwards and every once in a while breaking the surface of the earth, creating great hiding places and permanent hideouts. Even better if you bonded with one of the trees…
“Ah, there you are.”
My home is in one of these trees. It’s a bit smaller than the rest, but it is the only tree in this entire area that I could rest in safely. After all, I did raise it from a sapling.
At least there is one thing in my life that won’t try to annoy me or eat me.
The vines attached to Headie-my tree-reach out gently and create a set of steps that I can walk up. I sigh gratefully as I’m raised high into her branches, Headie’s presence bringing me comfort and relief from the annoying circumstances of living in this forest.
Instantly, Fleeter Fairies swarm me.
“Jarlan! Jarlan, there is someone here!”
Their voices are high pitched and squeaky, their wings translucent and sparkling, their bodies covered in a feathery down fluff. Their heads and bodies look like bulky bull dogs or bears, depending on what you are more familiar with. Also, they only have two front legs. The rest is just a long fluffy tail.
“Yeah right. Enough with the pranks. Because of you all I fell out of the tree yesterday and had to go find a remedy for a sprained paw,” I responded, my voice rumbling in my chest with a slight growl.
One of the female fairies is right next to my face, and with little grace I raise my paw and flick her into the tree trunk wall across from me. I let myself have a smirk.
“OW!” She cries, shaking her head and fluttering her wings franticly to get herself situated in the air again.
“No, were serious Jarlan!” says another one, its voice panicked, “He came right in without being eaten!”
My amber eyes narrow out of suspicion, and I begin looking around the hollowed out space within Headie.
“Hello…Jarlan.”
Out of instinct, I jump backwards into a group of vines along the wall, using them as protection.
“There is no need to be like that…I am only here for…business.”
Finally I spot him, an old ginger cat with skinny legs and a grey muzzle. Its pale yellow eyes stare straight at me, unafraid and seemingly comfortable in a cat-eating tree.
“How did you get in here?” I growl, not stepping out of my shelter of vines, “The tree should have eaten you.”
The old cat let out a chuckle. “Oh, that? It’s not a problem for me anymore.”
Great, so I’m unprotected in my own Kalemera tree then? So annoying…
I step out of the vines and take notice that the Fleeter Fairies have fled.
“What do you want?”
The old cat grins, laying one of his claws on Headie, slowly scratching her trunk.
“I want you to kill the Ever Beast.”
I start to see red, all of my focus centered on that annoying claw of his.
Headie’s branches begin to twitch.
“Why?” I hiss.
“Because I want it’s power…the power to have everlasting life…and protection from all of Kalmera’s dangers.”
Kill the Ever Beast he says? I’m a mercenary, not a ridiculous head hunter…so annoying.
“What are you offering?”
The old tom digs his claw deeper into Headie, bright red sap seeping from her wound.
“How about…your life?”
I realize then that this guy isn’t kidding.
I feel my body shaking. I am angry. Angry that this old geezer dared come into my home and is now hurting the one thing in my life that I enjoy. Angry that he expects such a daunting task unbefitting of a mercenary such as myself. Beast killing is for Kalmera’s especially talented head hunters, not for carefully crafted mercenaries.
“Why me?”
The old tom finally lowers his claws, wiping the sap off on his chest.
“Because you have got yourself one interesting reputation. You do…questionable things for others happiness…won’t you make me happy, Jarlan?” he purred sardonically.
I look at him, then look at the red scar he has left on Headie, my tree, my home.
“Fine. But you must give me your name. I don’t just do missions for complete strangers,” I reply, my voice as hard as flint.
“Sorry, but that won’t be possible.”
I growl, softly.
“Then how in the world am I supposed to find you afterwards?!”
He chuckles, a low creepy sound.
“Do not worry, Jarlan...I will find you.”
Then, as strangely as he appeared, he slowly molded into Headie’s trunk, and vanished.
I sighed, frustrated beyond belief with the new predicament. I knew only too well of the mythical creatures, and beasts, that occupied this forest. The Ever Beast, in particular, was one of the most elusive of them all. Not to mention that some strange secret order protected it, believing the beast to be the soul of the Kalmera Forest.
As if one beast could possess all the power held within this forest…so annoying.
“Well, Headie…looks like I’ll be gone for a few days again. Hold down the fort for me, will ya?”
Freida POV
4 days later
“NO, NOT AGAIN!”
Panic filled every delicate pore of my body, triggering sweats and violent shaking. Even my whiskers trembled at what I had accomplished to do yet again.
Lose the Ever Beast.
“Eve! Eve, where are you?”
I only was gone for a minute! How could she have just vanished out of thin air?
Well…she does have wings…and she is the soul of Kalmera…
“Ugh, why did they put me in charge of her?!”
I sat in a high branch of a Kalmera tree, thankful yet again for the ethereal white cloth wrapped around my thick-furred neck that protected me from such constant dangers. The Order said the Ever Beast made it herself so that we may better provide aid to her.
Then why does she always have to leave my sight? Do the words, ‘DO NOT MOVE’, not mean anything to her?
That is actually a marvelous inquiry…why does she always do this to just me, and not the other members of the Order?
I pierce my claws deep into a ball of hanging moss on the tree, letting more of my frustration out, feeling my inside out ears graze the hair on the back side of my skull.
“Why me?” I whisper.
Determined to find the Ever Beast, I leaped down to the forest floor, landing neatly and silently on all four paws. Remembering back to my training, I began scenting the air for her unmistakable scent.
It was not the scent, but rather the sight of a translucent, almost crystalline sparkle that appeared beneath a fern. Pushing it aside with my paw, I discovered it was one of Eve’s feathers.
Yes! All I got to do now is follow the trail she left with her feathers and then-
CRACK…BOOM!
An uprooted Kalmera tree fell inches from my face, causing the ground to violently shake. Not thinking, I crouched down and made myself as small as possible, too frightened to flee. One of the branches fell on top of me. Thankfully it was small and lightweight, so once the leaves and the earth settled, I was able to climb out from under it.
“What the-”
“GET BACK HERE YOU CRAZY BIRD!”
Panic once again filled my being, and I hastily climbed up the fallen tree, looking down on the other side where I saw a dark, greyish blue tom with four ears, long legs, and claws extended outward towards a small white glowing object.
“EVE!” I cried, leaping down into the clearing, my own claws unsheathing as I collided with the strange tom.
He grunted as he went sprawling into the foliage, all four of his ears pinned back as he righted himself and stood once again, ready to attack me.
“GET AWAY FROM HER!” I snarled, “You think you can just attack the soul of the Kalmera Forest like it’s nothing?” I spat ferociously, completely outraged at the idea of killing Eve.
“Eve?” He sarcastically replied. I could see his thoughts coming together, and realization became plain on his face, “Wait, you mean the Ever Beast?”
I took this chance to look over at Eve, her beautiful feathers ruffled, but not torn or stained with red. She seemed ok…though there was something wrong with her eyes…
“Of course I’m speaking of the Ever Beast! I’m a part of the Order that protects her!”
He sighed heavily, his bright amber eyes weary, “So annoying…,” he muttered under his breath.
“Look…I don’t know if you are new or anything, but that is not the Ever Beast.”
I hissed at him, looking back at Eve who…was coming apart at the feathers.
“Wait…what-what is she…WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?”
Her feathers were shedding, her white glow leaking into the surroundings. Her skin melted off, her bones grinded into dust, and from within this false vessel, was another skeleton…one made out of some hard glittering stone…like diamond.
It retracted, pulling all of its separate parts together, becoming one single shape, a long diamond spear…and it was attached to a tail…
Once again, the four-eared tom muttered, “So annoying…”
Jarlan POV
I was planning on taking the beast’s power for myself. The thought of becoming immortal and not having to worry about being gutted by a cat-eating tree sounded way too promising to pass up, but of course I should have known it wasn’t going to be easy. Four days of tracking the annoying thing had led to nothing but certain death.
I watched, with the creepy-eyed she-cat by my side, as the diamond tipped tail retracted.
Then, quick as a viper, a head twice the size of a full grown Jackal Bear appeared, it’s skin the color of pale flesh, it’s skin stretched over only bone. Large, pointed, needle-like teeth protruded from the mouth of this most infamous beast…the most fearsome of them all.
The Wither Beast.
“So annoying…”
Freida POV
I didn’t want to stay here. Yes, it was my duty to protect the Ever Beast, but she was not here. Instead I had been caught in a decoy set by the master trapper and apex predator of the Kalmera Forest, the Wither Beast.
The head of the beast had whipped out, its tail returning in a coiled position next to it. All across his body were large growths of moss and mold. It got its name from the fact that the Forest of Kalmera slowly took back the Wither Beast…in plain terms the beats slowly begins dying once it is born, withering away into nothing more than a pile of new growth for the forest to use.
And the closer they are to death, the more they hunger for blood.
I look to the tom beside me, whose name I don’t even know. Am I willing to leave him here to die? I know I have the power to save the both of us…but I have never done it before, and was always told to never use it.
The Wither Beast roared, it’s long sickly legs carrying it with such speed that it blurred, nearly catching the tom next to me off guard. He barely managed to dodge the beast’s attack, and accidently knocked into me.
“Ack, get off of me!”
“Hey! Were in this together, demon cat!”
“Demon cat?!”
“You’re eyes belong to those of a demon beast!”
“No they do not!”
The beast attacked again, and once again we managed to dodge it…barely. I heard a gasp come from the tom as he was caught by the beats claws.
The order says all life is precious, so shouldn’t that mean mine is also subject to consideration here?
The tom cried out, lying on his side, bleeding heavily from his right flank, unable to move as the huge Wither Beast slowly came down on him.
Run away…run away now! It’s your chance!
No…no. I might not be a hero, but I am no murderer.
I took off my cloth.
Jarlan POV
Sorry…Headie…looks like I won’t be coming back this time.
I closed my eyes, annoyed that this was how I was going to die…by the claws of the Wither Beast himself. I had always hoped my death would be something to laugh about…
Saliva dripped down onto my head, and I shut my eyes tightly, preparing myself for the killing blow.
Then, the stench left, and I opened my eyes to see sunlight…
Coming from the demon-eyed she-cat.
She had removed her strange cloak.
She had the beasts attention, and slowly her glow surrounded it…causing the beast to slip into a trance.
The beast’s flesh began to deteriorate and the moss and mold began to grow exponentially.
The Forest of Kalmera was taking him back…because the she-cat was willing it.
She was saving me.
Headie…maybe you aren’t the only thing that can make me happy in this annoying world.
Creeping
Seeping
Seeking a way in
They are the hounds of night
And the servants of darkness
They follow you
Hunt you
Haunt every corner of your existence
They are mindless
Seamless
Dreamless
There is no way to escape them
Even in the brightest light
That's why it is so easy to give in
To lay down and let them shut out the sun
To curl up in their comforting embrace
Hidden away from prying eyes
They are everywhere
They are a part of everything
So why not become them?
There is another way
Ignore the hounds
Ignore their hunger
There is a more brightly lit road
With ways to evade them
There always will be
There always has been
Warm
Calm
Ready to accept
Do not be wary
Do not be afraid
To fight against shadows
They will always be beside you
Watching
Guiding
You do not have to give in
Accept what is before you
Choice.
Down.
Down she went.
Down into the abyss that was her mind.
Darkness reveled at the new flesh, jaws salivating at the prospect of her approach.
She did not notice these beasts of the underverse, a place she had been taught was nothing more than a figment of ones own frightened imagination. The underverse, as legend would have it, was a place that was connected through the souls of all beings present, past, and future. It was said, that one could access the underverse through dutifully rummaging through their consciousness.
This is what she did.
She defied those who would be ignorant enough to call the underverse a legend.
"Freila...are you sure about this?"
The stone grey she-cat turned to face her questioner, her silver eyes cold and void of doubt.
"Yes."
The questioner, a long-legged, thin, ginger tom dipped his head.
"As you wish...I will wait here and pray for your soul's return from the underverse."
Freila's muzzle twitched, an unspoken trust strengthening between her and the tom.
"Remember, Han, no one follows me, in or out," she said, her voice level.
Han nodded, his jaw tightening, his breathing becoming fast and heavy.
Freila took a few steps forward until her muzzle brushed against Han's, her eyes shut carefully.
"Take care, my son."
"I will, mother."
They parted, and the barren forest around them began to shift; for under their sturdy roots, the underverse began to creep up their trunks, turning their bark as pale as a corpse.
Freila opened her eyes and gazed at her son one last time, keeping her sights on him as she slowly backed away, the dark beginning to swallow her living aura.
She stopped moving, steadying herself as the echoes of hungry growls swirled around her.
"Now...run," she hissed.
Then, those salivating beasts that had been waiting for their opportunity leaped out of the shadows and drowned Freila in death and darkness, dragging her under as her screams echoed in the dark, dead forest.
Only when her soul had been devoured, and her screams had ended, would she be allowed to enter the underverse.
. . .
This was for a prompt called "under" for *Brownfur*'s Raw & Unedited competition. I really loved this piece that I did, so I hope you guys enjoy it as well!
"The Star Girl"
She blazed across the night time like a fiery diamond
Sparkling, twinkling, luminous
Leaving nothing but rich dust in her path
Destined from the start
She did not hesitate as she plunged
She crash landed on the isle of starlight
Bathed in glorious innocence
And wonder
It was here that she found to her dismay
The starless world
Cold, rocky, grey
So desolate that she looked upon it with sadness and despair
Here she planted the crystal seeds
Glowing, echoing, full of promise
And watched them grow with careful, loving eyes
For days she lay beside this starless world
Watching her seedlings sprout
Hoping that some others might come along
To help them shine just as bright as the night time wonders
Then they came flying by
Those blinding shooting stars
Curious to know why she bothered
Planting those crystal seedlings in the ground
"To light up the darkness"
She whispered to them
The iridescent crystals swaying to her every whim
Shaking, shedding, changing
Till the starless world was once again
A starry night time wonder
