[Roxianna]

*Smacks self*  I really, really really, shouldn't be joining this, becaus I have homework, BUT...

He he.  I will.  I absolutly love that book, it was SUCH a great muse.  I probably won't get my story on the thread today, but I will write one.  It will be base of the Strange Day in July piccy.

[Kitsune_Beauty]

I'v worked on this for almost a week and I'm finally done. I actually like the way it turned out too. ^^
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The Harp

Part 1: Big Mouth Mistakes

  "Deep in the Tengal there is a legend. Pets and humanoids from all around claim to have seen a mystical instrument in the deepest parts of the forest. An instrument that, if played, can halt the most violent of wars, quench the most bloodthirsty souls, and heal the most wounded hearts. It has been my dream-" The old biolune serraptor was cut off by the young blood male. "Yeah yeah i'v heard this story a thousand times. You went to find the thing when you were young and you didn't and now you regret being too old to go try again." The elder serraptor's expression grew dark. "You should practice holding your toung, Volken. It may prove to keep you out of trouble a little more often." Volken only shrugged and turned at the calls of his awaiting friend. Volken was painfully cocky with youth, and of course believed only what he saw for himself. The old geeser's tales meant nothing to him.

  "Another one of Elder Djin's stories, Volk?" An aqua serraptor lounged in the soft grass as Volken returned to the grassy field. "What else do you think it would be." Volken answered rhetorically. The aqua serraptor chuckled. "Of course. When's that old raptor gonna get with the time? Nobody believes in that junk anymore. Which one was it this time?" Volken hunched his back and made his voice sound old and crackly. "The mystical instrument in the Tengal can stop wars and blah blah blah." The other serraptor named Kinza was already clutching his stomach and rolling about in laughter. "Not that one again. How many times is he gonna tell it to you before he understands that you never listen anyway?" Volken sat in the grass next to his friend. "Knowing that saggy-scaled serraptor, probably never."

~~~

  Days went by, and soon Volken stopped going to Elder Djin's summons all together. Once word began to spread in the small tribe, Kinza began to get nervouse. "Volk! don't you hear what the tribespeople are talking about?!" The blood serraptor had been sitting on one of the hills that overlooked the village. He shrugged without looking at his friend. "Yeah. So what? What can they do to me? Nothing I can't handle." A sharp voice answered. "Is that so, young Volken?" The two serraptors' heads snapped up. "M-Mioma..." Kinza studdered as the treasure serraptor looked at Volken dissaprovingly. Mioma was the lead serraptor in the tribe, and she was the next highly respected member. Only a rung under Elder Djin. "What brings you out here, Mioma?" Volken asked nonchalantly. "You, Volken. You will come with me at once. Kinza as well." Having nothing better to do, Volken shrugged and followed.

  The whole tribe awaited the two young serraptors' arrival at Elder Djin's cave. Kinza was clearly uneasy. Leaning over to his friend he whispered: "You've done it now." "Oh shut up, Kinza." Volken whispered back. "It's not like they're gonna execute us or something." "With that mouth of your's I'd say it's a pretty safe bet!" Mioma bowed and backed away as the elder stepped from the dark. "Volken, you have shown nothing but close-mindedness to every one of our tribe's legends. Are you so sure that the instrument I have spoken of does not exist?" The blood serraptor nodded. "So certain of yourself, young one. Would you be willing to prove your beleif-" "Yeah I would, old raptor." Kinza gasped and gazed at his friend. Never had he been so disrespectful to Elder Djin. Surprisingly, the biolune creature only nodded. "Very well. The decision is made. You will travel to the Tengal and search for the instrument for proof of it's existance or non-existance." Volken and Kinza's eyes grew wide. "What?!" They said in unison. "That was not part of the deal!" Volken snapped. Mioma spoke up. "Actually, Volken, you didn't listen to the rest of Elder Djin's proposition before giving your answer." Volken glared at her before turning his eyes back to the elder. "Fine! But Kinza is coming with me!" The aqua serraptor's feathers stood up in shock. "Volk! What are you-" "Very well. Kinza will accompany you to make sure you stick to the task at hand."


Part 2: Arrival At The Tengal

  "Thanks alot, man. Out of all the things you've gotten me into!" Kinza complained as he packed essentials into his Slynx-pelt suitcase. Volk was busy rolling and tying a taosig-hide tent for shelter. "Just shut up and pack!" he snapped. Kinza turned away from him and continued muttering under his breath. The two males stepped out of Volken's tent to the awaiting tribe. "May Xing-Yun grant you fortune, and Symona keep you safe." Elder Djin said as he placed a claw on each of their shoulders. "Yeah yeah." Volken said, fanning the old claw away. Mioma shot him another dissaproving look, but he just turned to the village gate and headed out.

  The tribe was settled close to the Tengal, so Volk and Kinza arrived at the thick rainforest within an hour or so. The two looked at each other breifly before making their way into the dense foliage. Volk looked around as they pressed deeper into the forest. "Your lucky our kind were forest dwellers." Kinza hissed as he made his way through the underbrush. "You just don't know how to shut up do you?" Volk growled as the minutes turned into hours. "Hey! It was your cocky attitude that got us into this mess in the first place!" Volk snarled but said nothing as the sound of running water came to their ears. Finally coming into a rather smooth-ground clearing, Volk and Kinza flopped into the grass. A small brooke gurgled a few meters away, and the two serraptor happily submerged their aching feet into the cool water.

Part 3: Unexpected Rescue

  A few days past and the two serraptor found themselves deeper than anyone in their tribe had dared venture. Glowing eyes now watched them at night, and they were sure swarms of moonling were having their own devious thoughts about the young travelers. The tension had grown between Kinza and Volk throughout the exploration, so they both stayed silent. Not saying a single word to each other. They were lucky to even get a glare from each other as they painstakingly picked their way through the densest parts they had ventured. Suddenly, a sharp, ear-peircing screech came to their ears. "What the-" Kinza started to speak, but Volk had already leapt through the brush torward the sound.

  Kinza ran to catch up with his friend, and he soon found him stareing with determination in his eyes and a snarl on his face. The aqua serraptor followed Volk's gaze and the sight before him made his ivories show as well. The screech had come from a wandering wood gyrraptor that had been jumped by a pack of vicious mossdogs. "I was just passing through! Please let me go!" The female gyrraptor was begging for mercy as the largest of the mossdogs had her pinned to the ground with his large, clawed foot. "You don't belong out here ,little girl. This is our part of the woods." he snarled, moving his beak dangerously close to the trembling creature's neck. "Let...Her...Go." The snarl that bubbled from Volk's throat made Kinza shiver, but he didn't lose his vicious posture. The younger gyrraptor had cut her eyes to the pair and was looking at both of them pleadingly. The lead mossdog looked at the two young serraptor and began laughing coldly. He was soon joined by the rest of the pack. "And what are you gonna do about it, boy." he whistled challengingly. "Ty her up." Two of the smaller mossdogs nodded and darted away to get some sturdy vines.

 Volken lost it. With a snarl the blood serraptor leapt at the lead mossdog, claws outstretched and jaws ready to rip. He landed on the creature, nearly knocking him completely over. Volken balanced on his strong tail several times to rip at the creature with the long talons on his feet. The rest of the pack screeched and whistled and leapt at their leader's attacker, only to be met with a smashing blow of Kinza's tail. Volken would have never guessed that his nervous friend would have a vicious side, but he didn't have time for surprise now. For several grueling minutes the forest was a snarling, screeching chorus. The battle was over rather quickly. THe lead mossdog darted into the trees, blood staining his green feathers, followed by the rest of his pack.

  Volken and Kinza watched to make sure the pack wouldn't decide to come back. The two weren't hurt badly, just a few cuts and some bruises. Kinza went over to the female and carefully snapped her bounds with his claws. She got up slowly and brushed herself off. "Thank you.." she said quietly. "Name's Volken." the blood serraptor said, trying to keep his aloof appearence. "And I'm Kinza." The female nodded as she began to relax. "I'm Ashe." the gyrraptor replied, bowing her head in respect. "What are you guys doing so far out?" Ashe asked, tilting her head questioningly.

Part 4: Truth

  "Looking for some instrument our tribe elder talks about endlessly." Volken answered casually. "Instrument? What instrument?" Ashe asked, her head coming up. "A harp that's said to be mystical and such." Kinza spoke up. Ashe put a claw to her chin a moment. "I think I know where that is." Volken and Kinza's feathers shot straight up. "What?!" they both exclaimed. Ashe giggled a bit. "Yep. It's my village's responsibility to guard it. But...I could probably take you. You seem to be a trustworthy type." Kinza shoved a hand over his mouth and snickered. Volken whapped him with his tail. "Will you take us to it?" Volken asked, trying to be polite. The gyrraptor nodded and started through the forest.

  A few hours passed and the two serraptor began to doubt if this young creautre really knew where she was going. That is, until distant whistles came to their ears. "My village is up ahead." Ashe explained. Parting a curtain of vines, Volken and Kinza were greeted by the sight of leafy tents and several gyrraptor watching them with unreadable eyes. A larger than average imperial gyrraptor stepped forward. "Who are our guests, Ashe?" he asked. His voice was gentle, yet suspicious. "Volken and Kinza." Ashe replied in a slightly excited voice. "They saved me from a bunch of mossdogs." The larger gyrraptor turned his gaze back to the two younger serraptor. "Is this true?" Volken and Kinza nodded and the blood reptile turned to reveil a rather large cut on his thigh. The creature glanced at it and nodded. "I am called Heart Of Dawn. I am the leader of our village. As thanks for saving my daughter, you will both be granted permission to see the object which we protect with our lives."

 Volken's head was whirling as Dawn led the way to the supposed instrument. Part of the blood serraptor was hoping he'd be right, that way he wouldn't have come all this way for nothing. In the same instance, he also hoped the old gyrraptor's 'treasure' wasn't the one they were seeking. Sunbeams danced and a small stream gurgled peacefully in the tranquil clearing. Florana and flitterfly buzzed and hovered about the rustling branches of the trees above. Dawn raised a claw and pointed to the other side of the stream. Volken and Kinza both craned their necks to look, and what they saw left them both wide-eyed and amazed. "So it's true..." he thought, "It's really true..." A slight splash was heard as Volken began wandering over to the harp in a trance-like state. "Volk, what are you-" Kinza was cut off by a silencing claw from Dawn. "Let him go."

  As Volken neared the harp, he felt a powerful urge that grew with every step. What would happen if his claws were to strum thoughs perfect strings? The serraptor knelt in the shallow stream next to the rock the beautiful instrument jutted from, and cautiously reached a claw torward it. The sounds that flowed from the harp were as indescribable as Elder Djin said they would be. Kinza watched and listened in wonder as his trouble making friend played the most gorgeous of music he'd heard in his short life. Back in Volken's village, Elder Djin had been meditating in his cave for any sign of the two's progress. They had been gone about a week now. The whole tribe emerged from their homes as a distant song washed over the land. Elder Djin smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Volken's song of redemption had been played at last.

~End~

[Hannah Kerela]

Well, after some edits here and there, here it is! Er, the ending line reads in (probably grammatically incorrect) Latin, "No siren sings sweeter than one who hungers greatly."

Another Place, Another Time

       Edgar bent down, tying the last string in place. At last, at long last, it was done! Perhaps the stories were true after all; perhaps these charms hidden within the frame of the ship, invisible to the naked eye, would lead him to "life's answer".

He ran his hand over the careful framework of what appeared to be a child's mix between a makeshift "car"and a sailboat. The framework on the bottom part was sharp-cornered and straight-edged, and the wheels were spools of wood missing their thread, sized perfectly to ride down railroad tracks. And the sail leading it was a pure white sheet of innocence, giving the carefully constructed framework a gentle touch.

All in all, it was indeed amazing that one boy had made such a remarkable vehicle with no help. He leapt up and ran outside to call for his friend, Charles. The penny-pinching prepubescent boy came up, scowling his infamous scowl.

"What, say I, do you want?"Charles asked with irritation.

"I have finished building the...'vehicle',"Edgar said, unable to hide his grin of pleasure. "I was hoping, Charles, that you would pilot it with me, as co-captain. Emily and Louisa could, also, be assistants to us. What do you say?"

"Co-captain?"Charles remarked. "For what? Where, I must ask, do you plan to go? And what, I also ask, are you going to do there?"

"Why, I'm going to look for treasure!"Edgar said, as if it were plainly obvious. "On the island on the far side of the abandoned tracks!"

"You mean across Walden Pond? But who, I ask, will guide you to the railroad tracks?"
       
       "Mister Henry, of course! He lives at the pond, so he can show me the way!"

       "Well, I say, I believe you have left me no choice but to accompany you. No, do not think of refusing. I insist. Shall we go inform the ladies?"Charles said, shrugging and shaking his head, as if it were a plain and simple fact.

       "If you insist,"Edgar said, humoring Charles' display of false authority.

~*~

       "Oh, Edgar, I'm scared!"Emily said. "The fog is so heavy! Let's go home!"

       "Fog never took a life,"Edgar said, shrugging it off. "The tracks go straight to the island, so we can't get lost. And we won't journey far from the wind car, really! What could happen on an abandoned island, to begin with?"

       "What are you really looking for?"Louisa asked. "Is there nothing that will stop you?"

       "I'm looking to see if the charms the widow gave me truly work,"Edgar admitted. "She said they would show me 'life's answer'. I want to see if she's truthful."

       "Life's answer? Does life have an answer, so to speak, really?"Emily pondered to Charles. "If there was an answer, he'd find it there, don't you think? If the widow's being truthful?"

       "I suppose so,"Charles said.

       "If there are no further questions, let's go! Mister Henry said he would send Mister Herman Mark to show us the way!"

       "Ah, Mister Mark...Is he not the insane man with the disreputable past?,"Emily noted.

       "That, I say, he is!"Charles affirmed.

       "And here he comes!"Louisa said, pointing to the bristly man, whose hair was graying and whose welkin eyes were akin to the long-fabled British Sailor's.  His clothes were a white sailor's shirt and suit jacket, along with white slacks and shoes.

       "So,"began the crazed man, his words slightly slurred and his breath laced with the scent of the infamous Amontillado. "You kids are going to the tracks?"

       "Yes, sir,"Edgar said, seemingly fearless of such a man. "And, you, sir, shall guide us, I was told?"

       "Yes, yes,"the man said, turning and walking off. "This way."

       Edgar's black hair blew in the heavy wind. "The wind, is it blowing right for the journey?"he asked, pushing the wind car along.

       "I would think so!"the man said. "The wind will take you straight over the tracks to the island, without fail!"

       "Wonderful!"Charles said. "Absolutely wonderful!"

       Louisa looked at the man. "I hear that you are well-known for your crazed plotting, sir."

       "Indeed I am."

       "Oh, Edgar! I'm scared!"Emily said again.

~*~

       The tracks were surrounded by the dense fog. Emily and Louisa sat in the front, nearest the sail. The boys sat behind, looking out at the fog.

       "When, I say, will we get there?"Charles wondered aloud, breaking the silence."This fog is most unnerving."

       "We will get there,"Louisa said patiently. "When we get there."

~*~

       "Finally, we arrive!"Edgar said cheerfully, getting out of the wind car and stepping onto the island.

       The mist was dense and it clung to the island deeply. As Emily looked around, she saw shadows of trees, clinging dearly to their last dead leaves. The soil here, if it could be called that, was rocky and hard on the foot, forcing the team to move quickly to the smoother ground. The gentle breeze did nothing for the mist.

       Charles looked around. "It's as if it's winter,"he said. "But we know full well it's summer!"

       "Or is it?"Edgar said. "Could it be we have crossed the line between a time gone by and our own sweet time?"

       "Don't be ridiculous!"Louisa said, walking by. "It's obviously just very cold from the breeze off the water!"She marched straight into the forest, the three eager travellers following.

       Edgar looking around. "Marvelous,"he said. "Simply marvelous."He ran his hand over a tree, looking entranced.

       "What, say I, was that noise?"Charles asked, looking behind him suddenly. "It sounds as if, dare I say, we are being followed!"

       "Followed?"Edgar laughed at the thought. After all, they had come alone and had arrived alone! There was no way anyone else was on the island! Unless...

       "Do I see travellers, wondering what the source of the noise is?"a feminine voice asked. Edgar snapped his eyes up to look, seeing a young girl in a white ruffled skirt, a black dress not unlike a corsette. that ran down on top of it, and black boots. On her head was a pointed hat, the point wilting and bent down. She held in her hands a wooden broom. "What brings you to my island?"

       "We came in search of,"Edgar said, pausing to find the words to explain. "An answer to a big question."

       "Then you came in search,"the girl said. "Of my grandmother. She knows everything,"the girl paused after she for a moment, as if to emphasize it.

       And so it came to be that the four children followed this girl to her home, and sat down to await the arrival of the wise old woman. The girl, after a long period of time, explained that they had best go down to the caves to discover where the woman was.

       The party arrived at the caves, which drew in those who dared venture near the caves. The travellers entered the cave, following this strange girl. The girl led them for a seemingly endless time, pausing to insist upon returning.

       "Dear travellers,"she would say, her voice filled with concern. "See here! The fumes condense on the walls in a slime of poison! We must turn back, for your health is endangered!"

       But Edgar would not be deterred. Indeed, he would simply say, "Our health is no worse than your grandmothers! Now, lead us to her! Make haste!"

       And so the journey would continue, deeper, deeper, into the caves which not one of the outside world had ever returned.

       Words are inefficient storytellers. Understand that here they had only been in the caves upon two hours, and were yet very far within, that they could neither see nor hear the outside world any longer. Finally, the girl turned to the party and smiled. "Here, here is my grandmother!"she cried, laughing insanely. She shone her torch to the corner, a corpse of a woman within its light.

"And you shall join her!"the drunken voice of the old man cried, behind the group. "For here you shall die!"

Edgar had scarcely a moment to look upon his killer before darkness met him. Within moments, the rest of the party met the same terrible fate. Except for one, who was especially quick and fled forward to run, exiting the caves.

This girl returned to this world, alone, and sought out a skilled writer to tell the story.

Haud genitor sono dulcis quam unus quisnam ieiunium valde!

Fin

[Thessur]

(For no aperant reason, the Strange Day in July one inspired me.  I had to whip this out before it escaped.  Sorry about any little grammer goof-ups.  I wanted to send it before I forgot.)

Strange Day in July

The sky was filled with castle-clouds and sunlight.  Birds chirped and butterflies flitted about from flower to flower as a soft breeze blew across the grass.  Many children were out playing; among them were a small boy and girl.  The beauty of the day was wasted on the boy, who walked with his eyebrows furrowed and his hands buried deep in his pockets.  The girl, on the other hand, seemed to be drinking in the sunshine.  She skipped and frolicked and sniffed the flowers and pointed excitedly at just about everything.

She skipped ahead of the boy and stood at the top of a small hill.  A gleam from below caught her eye and she looked down.  Then she jumped and pointed, crying out happily to the boy as she ran down the other side of the hill.

"Oh look!  There's a pond!"

"Nessie!  Come back!  Ma said to stay with me!  Oh, bother." The boy grumbled with displeasure as he followed his younger sister.

Why had they moved to this stupid, boring neighborhood?  What had been so bad about their old home?  He thought angrily for the fifth time that morning.  It had only been a few days and Peter was still upset over the move.  He missed his old friends and old school.  He missed the old empty lot where he and his pals used to play baseball.  He missed the neighborhood dogs that were all friendly with him.  He missed everything about his old home and was he determined to hate this new home that his parents had brought him to.

"Look Peter, cattails!" Little Vanessa giggled as she waved the water plant around as though it were a magic wand.

"Remember the story Mama told us the other night?  The one about the fairies who make plants grow and who make entire castles out of flower petals and stuff mattresses with cattail fluff?"

Acting on an impish whim, she pulled out a handful of the fluff and blew it at her brother.  He swatted it away and growled irritably.

"Yeah, I remember, but fairies don't exist.  They're just made-up stories for little girls and even if they did exist, they'd be boring, just like everything else in this stupid neighborhood!"

While Peter grumbled, he picked up a small, flat stone.  He held it tightly clenched in his fist, and on the word 'stupid' sent it flying out across the pond.  A slight smirk of satisfaction grew on his face as the rock skipped three times before disappearing beneath the surface.  Vanessa looked on with a bit of shock on her face.

"Peter!  Don't say things like that!  You know that the fairies in the story were really easy to upset.  Remember the things they did to the people who made them mad?  The water fairy was the worst too!  What if this pond has a water fairy in it and you've just thrown a rock into her bedroom?  She might turn you into a toad or a reed or-"

Peter cut her off with a fierce scowl.

"Oh hush Nessie!  There's no water fairy in there and I'll prove it!"

With that, he grabbed a second stone and tossed it over the water.  He hadn't looked very carefully, though, and he had picked a rather bad stone for skipping.  It sunk after only one bounce.

"Oh drat." He muttered and reached for a third stone.  Vanessa grabbed his arm and implored him to stop, afraid that he had already angered the pond-fairy.  He shook her off and reared back to throw.  

He threw with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back.  It skimmed across the water, then turned and skimmed back to land at his feet.  He stared at the rock, puzzled.

"What the...?" He wondered aloud.

Vanessa was the one who saw it first.  Of course, she was looking for it.  She grabbed her brother's sleeve and ran, pulling him after her, her horror showing plainly on her face.  Peter was so annoyed by now that he completely missed the fear in his sister's eyes.  He was dragged a few steps before he jerked his sleeve free of her grasp.  He was just about to yell at her, when he spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned quickly to look.

Out of the water rose a huge, shaggy, dripping, weed-covered...thing.  It seemed to have arms and it had a face and eyes that strongly resembled a frog's.  Held in each webby "hand"were the two stones Peter had thrown in.  

Peter stared openmouthed for a fraction of a second before screaming and running after Vanessa in terror as the creature waved it's "arms"and made burbling, gurgling sounds at them.  They ran so fast, that they were out of earshot by the time the creature reached the bank and called out sadly after them.

"Wait! Don't you want to play with me some more?"


((Edited a bit.  I like it even better now.   ))

[Terri]

[[ Alright.  This was done in about...oh, an hour?  I'd been planning on entering this from the start, and just realized today that, holy frick, the deadline's tomorrow. X3  So I whipped something up.  <3 Loose ends. ]]

A Strange Day in July

"One might argue that a swift kick to the back of the head is a valuable disciplinary method.  Unfortunately, most who believe this end up with dead children."

The MC paused to clear his throat.  Persistently, the voices kept up, drowning out every attempt he made to carry on. Shouts and hollers and whistles and paper planes whizzed by his balding head, turning his face a deep shade of crimson.  July deaths, they were always wild.  "Hey!" he called.  "Shut up!"

An immediate hush fell across the gymnasium.  Every single child whipped his or her head up to stare at the figure at the front, nervously wringing his hands.  He broke into a sudden sweat, his face and hands clammy.  "Thank you," he said, retaining his authorative voice.  "As I was saying, that's why you're all here today.  Someone decided a swift kick to the back of your head was in order."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting in her room, Jewel turned the tiny stone over, rubbing its smooth surface against the palm of her hand.  She marveled in its shine, in the intensity with which it reflected the world around it.  She stared at it, open-mouthed, holding it up to the light. She briefly wondered what it would taste like.  She'd never tasted a rock before.  She supposed it would taste like dirt.  She brought it up to her face, sticking her tongue out to tap the stone against it.

Just then, the door swung open.  Startled, she dropped the stone, which clattered to the floor at her feet.    Looking up, she saw a young boy, no more than nine or ten.  He came to sit on her bed beside her, reaching out a hand to grasp hers firmly.  She looked up at him, her eyes wide and scared.  She raised a small hand to wipe away the onslaught of tears that threatened to overflow, but the boy produced a crumpled tissue from his pocket and wiped her eyes for her.  "It'll be okay," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her.  "Don't worry, sis.  I'll get you home."  Inside, he was seething.  They didn't need home.

The girl merely sat there in her big brother's embrace, staring at the stone she'd dropped.  Slowly, she bent to pick it up, thinking back on that lecture she'd been forced to attend a few hours ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had their attention now.  Clearing his throat once more, he fished a hand into his pocket, pulling out a smooth, flat stone.  He held it up for his audience to see.  "This, children, is a stone.  Everyone has three.  The first, if you stick your hand in your pocket, you will find."  Four hundred little hands reached into their pockets.  Each one emerged grasping a little flat stone.  The man continued.  "This is your soul.  Don't ever lose it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright," said the girl, shrugging off her brother's embrace and getting to her feet.  "Brydan, we have to go.  Sarah needs us."  Her brother just smiled.  It was a sad, forsaken smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.  He got to his feet beside her, grabbing her hand again, and led her towards the door.

"Yeah," he said, "let's go.  I'm good at skipping stones."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The other two can't be found by regular means.  If you want the other two stones, you'll have to find them yourself.  They carry your other two souls."  This last line was greeted with hundreds of blank stares.  Wringing his hands nervously, he continued.  This part was always hard.  "Children, please understand that it's not a game.  You're dead, and your life is over.  Only when you find these other stones will you be able to start anew."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jewel and Brydan were now standing next to the water.  Looking out over the sparkling liquid, Brydan clasped the first stone in the palm of his hand.  Jewel looked up at him, her eyes wide.  "Brydan," she whispered, "I want to go home."

The boy let the stone fly, far off into the ocean.  Though the two children watched with peeled eyes, they couldn't see the small splash the stone made.  Reaching into his pocket, Brydan produced another stone.  "There goes the future," he said grimly.  One stone was gone.  Two to go.  He cranked his arm back and tossed the second stone, which flew even farther than the first.  Gasping, he placed his hands on his knees.  Between gasps, he spoke through gritted teeth.  "There goes the past."  He reached into his pocket, withdrawing the last stone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He still had their attention.  He continued in a rush, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible.  "When you find the other two stones, bring them back here.  You'll be born anew, in a new home with a new family.  And, of course, you won't remember any of this."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little girl looked back up into her brother's eyes, her face frozen in fear and confusion.  "Brydan," she whispered.  "What are you doing?  That's the present."

He stared at the stone in his palm.  The present.  "I don't want to go home, Jewel," he said as he flung the last stone.  He closed his eyes, waiting with baited breath for what was to come.

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"Please don't try to get rid of your stones.  You need them all if you want to live again.  You won't accomplish anything by trying to get back to the present.  Let your old life go, children.  You don't need it anymore."

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Jewel tugged on her brother's sleeve, pointing out across the water.  A tiny speck was bouncing along the surface toward them, glinting in the fading sunlight.  It bounced up onto the shore at Brydan's feet, lying there motionless.  He bent to pick it up.

Why wouldn't it leave?  All it represented was the drinking, the hitting, drugs.  All the neglect, all the broken promises.  All those nights their mom hadn't come home, all those days their father had spent losing everything they had to the blackjack dealer.  All those days Sarah had sat crying on her bed, unable to find something as simple as a bra to wear to school.  It was everything that they didn't need.  Clenching his fist, he let the stone fly again.  Once more it flew across the water, only to return in the same manner a few seconds later.  He tried again and again, trying desperately to rid himself of the present.  They didn't need it anymore.  All that pain, all the abuse, it was finally over.  That day in July had ended it all.  They didn't need a new life.  They were fine here.  This was a good place, where they didn't feel anything.  No hurt, no joy, no upset.  This was a safe place.  They would stay here forever.  Only the stones still bound them to the world they'd so recently been torn from.  They were the only link to the world of the living.  He didn't want that link.  This July was heaven, and he didn't want to leave it.

He threw with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back.

[Freezair]

CONTEST OVER! Thanks for participating, y'all! Judging comin' right up!